Dinosaur sculpture in the background, cycads in the foreground. Kirstenbosch Gardens, 2015.

This week’s Monday Geology Picture features a dinosaur in a botanical garden. Specifically, it features a giant metal sculpture of a dinosaur that is part of an exhibit in Kirstenbosch Gardens here in Cape Town, South Africa. The sculpture is one of several dinosaur sculptures that have been installed in the gardens as part of an exhibit to raise awareness about cycads, which are ancient plants that have been around for several hundred million years. Currently endangered, cycads were common millions of years ago, during the same time period when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. However, if cycads are not carefully conserved they could join the dinosaurs and become extinct.

Tomorrow, I’ll share some more pictures of dinosaur sculptures in Kirstenbosch Gardens. For now, enjoy this one picture as a “sneak peak”.