Lost Dinosaurs of Argentina
Argentina has some of the world’s most important paleontological sites. Some of the dinosaur remains found Cuyo are among the oldest, largest and best preserved on Earth and Patagonia boasts some of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever to have lived.
The Fossils of Cuyo
In Cuyo the parks of Ischiualasto, Talampaya and Las Quijadas create a triad that hold some very impressive and important paleontological sites.
Ischigualasto is considered the most undisturbed Triassic formation on the planet. It spans a 45 million year period beginning around 245 million years ago. In 1958 Harvard Paleontologist A. S. Romer proclaimed it “the most extraordinary fossil cemetery ever imagined …. and all perfectly preserved.”
A desert today, petrified trees and ferns are common in this once forested floodplain. Its trophy discoveries are Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, which resembles a smaller T-rex, and the small and nimble Eoraptor lunensis, that indicates the earliest dinosaurs were bipedal predators. However most of Ischigualasto ancient treasures predate the dinosaurs. Fossils dating back to the Permian period include reptiles such as herbivorous rhynchosaurs, and carnivorous cynodonts early predecessors of mammals.
Talampaya, despite having more impressive scenery than Ischigualasto, is less diverse when it comes to fossil remains. Here the 10 meter long (33ft) Riojasaurus, a Triassic herbivore was unearthed. Talampaya’s signature species are Lagossuhus talampayensis, a small ancestor of the dinosaurs, and the late Triassic turtle Palaeochersis talampayensis.
Parque Nacional Sierra de Las Quijadas holds tracks from late Jurassic sauropods and full skeletons of Cretaceous pterosaurs. These flying reptiles had wingspans of over 2.5 meters (8ft). Due to their abundance, nearly a thousand specimens, and individuals ranging from juveniles to adults, paleontological teams have been able to study their maturation. Las Quijadas is expected to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. This designation would draw in more attention to it which in turn could yield even more impressive finds. Finishing a visit to the park at twilight one can take in an amazing colourful sunset.
Patagonian Dinosaurs
Patagonia is one of the most dinosaur rich areas in the world. There have been 50 species discovered here in last three decades in only 30 sites. Today most of it is desert but 250 million years ago in the early Mesozoic era, it was a much warmer and wetter place. Since then sediment and volcanic ash have fossilized the remains of the dinosaurs that once lived here. In more recent times natural erosion and human activities such as oil drilling and mining have uncovered them.
Most of Patagonia’s finds have been made around Neuquén where the enormous Argentinosaurus huinculensis was discovered. This massive herbivore stood 18 meters tall and was 35 meters long, and was perhaps the largest dinosaur ever to have lived. Another giant on the scene was Giganotosaurus carolinii. At 13.2m tall it was even bigger than Tyrannosaurus-rex.
Larger than Giganotosaurus still and discovered not long after was Mapusaurus roseae. Neuquén Province has produced another remarkable treasure, a large cache of titanosaur eggs that were found while researchers Rodolfo Coria, Luis Chiappe and others were searching for fossilized birds. Well preserved embryos within the eggs make this find incredibly fascinating as it could shed light on dinosaur evolution. In 2010 a 45 million year old flower fossil was found that linked the sunflower family’s origin to South America.
Destination: Argentina
