About The Writer

Alexandre Fonseca, also known online as Lex Fonseca, is a post-graduate student at the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology from the Universidade do Algarve in 2023 (graded 14/20). In 2025, he obtained a master’s degree in Geology from the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (graded 18/20), together with a merit prize for outstanding academic performance. His master’s thesis focused on the myological and functional performance of the Portuguese sauropod Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis and was unanimously awarded the maximum grade (20/20) by the evaluation committee.

He has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed papers in paleontology, including publications in SCI-indexed journals, such as in Journal of Iberian Geology and Historical Biology. His conference abstracts include presentations on sauropod myology and functional anatomy, including "Appendicular myological reconstruction of Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis" (Camarasauridae, Sauropoda) (XXIII Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología, 2025) and "Myological reconstruction of Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis (Camarasauridae, Sauropoda) and its morphofunctional implications" (XL Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología, 2025). In addition, he has co-authored several conference abstracts on subjects including theropod myology and the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to fossil prospecting.

He has attended several scientific conferences, such as the II Congresso Internacional as Aves: Evolução, Paleontologia, Arqueozoologia, Artes e Ambientes (2018), TetZoomCon (2021), and the first three editions of PaleoPt (2022–2024). He has also been a member of the organizing committee of conferences such as Encontro Internacional – Continuidades e Descontinuidades do Registo Fóssil (2024) and IV PaleoPt (2025).

Throughout his academic career, he has participated in several workshops, including the Scientific Writing Workshop in Geosciences (organized by the University of Évora, the University of Coimbra, and the University of Porto), Técnicas de conservação em escavações, and Dinossáurios de Portugal (organized by the Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência [MNHNC] as part of the postgraduate school of the University of Lisboa), among others.

Among extracurricular activities, he has collaborated with the Centro Português de Geo-História e Pré-História in fieldwork and research on Barremian vertebrates from Cabo Espichel (2020–ongoing). He has monitored several summer internships under the Ciência Viva no Laboratório programme (2021–2022) and participated in paleontological expeditions in the Upper Jurassic of Pombal (Portugal) coordinated by IDL.FCUL and UNED (2022). He has also participated in outreach activities within scientific communication initiatives organized by the MNHNC, including the Noite Europeia dos Investigadores and the Feira Internacional de Minerais, Gemas e Fósseis (2024–2025). He has produced several scientific illustrations for peer-reviewed publications, periodicals, informative panels, museum exhibitions, and outreach activities. In 2024, two of his works on scientific illustration and science communication were presented at the PaleoSpring Meeting. He has held, since 2025, the position of Secretary of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Paleontological Society (SPdP), for the 2025–2028 term.

Check out his personal website if you want to know more about his professional ventures. 

Lex is also a music aficionado, being a fan of various bands such as The Cure, Acid Bath, My Chemical Romance, Tool, of Montreal, Oranssi Pazuzu, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Megadeth, Mastodon, Nirvana, MGMT, Death, Darkthrone, the Beatles, and many others.