Surprising paleontological discovery in a province of Patagonia

The UNR acted through Dr. Luciano Brambilla from the CEI (Center for Interdisciplinary Studies)

In Río Negro, the remains of a mammal from the giant ground sloth group, dating back approximately three million years, were discovered. The remains were unearthed by Environmental Guards, and the Provincial Undersecretary of Heritage and Cultural Cooperation has implemented the protocol for the care, preservation, and recovery of paleontological heritage.

The material was found in a coastal area near some cliffs and consists of a complete fossil since it is composed of a skull, jaws, spine, part of pelvis and limbs.

“Many of these parts of this animal and with the degree of preservation in which it is found, were not known until now,” said the specialists.

From the mega mammal, related to the genus Pyramiodonttherium from the Pliocene age, related to current sloths, two humeri (part of the arms), skull and jaws could be rescued, "which will be housed in one of the provincial repositories for study," they reported.

Thanks to this paleontological discovery, we can learn about part of the anatomy and certain aspects of the face that were previously unknown, which will allow us to understand the animal's lifestyle and activity in terms of its ecology and obtain a great deal of information, according to a press release.

The exploration and recovery was led by specialist and president of the Ecosoam Foundation (Ecosystem, Society and Environment), Mario Mora, who explained that for the moment, “25 percent of the fossil recovery project has been carried out . ”

"And a large part will remain in place for future prospecting that must be organized according to the rigor of the security system that is needed, since work must be done on the edge of a cliff," he explained.

Initially, it was analyzed whether the floor was unstable, with the consequent vulnerability index of the people, and a series of anchors were made, taking into account that the paleontologists would be carrying out the activity, approximately 70 meters above sea level.

In this case, the request for the necessary permits was carried out, framed in Law 3.041, which allows action on the site and the subsequent location and verification of what was reported.

Once the discovery was confirmed, the arrival of researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, from the National University of Córdoba and height safety experts belonging to the Ecosoam Foundation.