A century of echinoderm research in Argentina: Irene Bernasconi’s lasting legacy from 1925, with notes on type material and publication chronology

MARIANO I. MARTINEZ; ALARCÓN SAAVEDRA, ARIANA B.; ARRIBAS LORENA; DI MARCO FLORENCIA; EPHERRA LUCIA; JONATHAN N. FLORES; FRAYSSE CINTIA P.; GIL DAMIÁN G.; HUENTEN DANIELA; LAURETTA DANIEL M.; PABLO E. PENCHASZADEH; PÉREZ ANALÍA F.; RENATA M. PERTOSSI; PFOH MALENA; ROMANELLI MARIANELA; SCARABINO FABRIZIO; TABLADO ALEJANDRO; BROGGER, MARTÍN I.

Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, nueva serie

Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2025 vol. 27 p. 1 - 17

1853-0400

Irene Bernasconi was a pioneering and internationally recognized echinoderm specialist fromArgentina. Her career, which spanned nearly six decades, was marked by significant contributions to the tax-onomy of echinoderms, particularly those from the southwestern Atlantic and Antarctic Peninsula. She laid thefoundation for the inclusion of women in science in her country. Bernasconi contributed to the description of 25new taxa (three subspecies, 21 species, one genus). She was based at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales“Bernardino Rivadavia” (MACN), initially in an honorary role and later as a CONICET researcher. This reviewaddresses the status of the species that she described, including nomenclatural updates. Also we compiled herextensive publication record of 68 research articles, highlighting her focus on asteroids (60% of her studies), echi-noids (32%), and ophiuroids (26%), with minor contributions to crinoids and holothuroids (3% for both). The firstpublication by Bernasconi appeared in 1925, and her final work was completed in 1980, reflecting her valuablecommitment to echinoderm studies as a cornerstone in the region.