Born out of a collaboration between the Italian Paleontological Society and its group of young members "Palaeontologist in Progressand carried out with the contribution of numerous Italian paleontologists, the Fossili Regionali initiative initiative aims to promote awareness and understanding of our country’s rich paleontological heritage by selecting a symbolic fossil for each Italian region.

Drawing on mammoths, dinosaur footprints, fossilised plants, and invertebrates, expert palaeontologists, working in ad hoc committees, selected up to five representative specimens for each region, each accompanied by an information sheet. Thanks to social media, the initiative gained widespread attention, making it possible to gather preferences through an official vote and ultimately determine which artifact best represented each Italian region.