We have always depicted Patagonia as a desolate place that calls for reflection, admiration and a deep connection with nature. It is no accident then that this region should evoke so many sensations…Feeling away from it all will leave a different message in each of the lucky visitors here.
Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum, Buenos Aires
N owadays, sites like El Chalten, Bariloche or Ushuaia have become the greatest landmarks in the region. However, what makes this area of the country even more fascinating is the fact that it hosts the footprints of the first living beings. Dinosaurs, which roamed the planet for more than 160 million years, write a different chapter after their extinction some 65 million years ago.
Dinosaur fossils have been discovered in every continent. In South America, Brazil and Argentina are the countries with the largest numbers ever found. In today´s post we will be looking at the main places dedicated to paleontology in our country. So, if you happen to be keen on these giants, we invite you – as if in one of Steven Spielberg´s movies – to live an extraordinary experience.
Parks, geological tours, reserves and museums are some of the many points in this digital adventure that is bound to fill you with curiosity. As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, Argentina is one big paradise when it comes to dinosaurs, though we should not fail to also mention the findings of saber-toothed tigers, fossilized forests or glyptodonts in our territory.
Saber-toothed tigers – Catamarca – Argentina
Must See: Argentina and Dinosaurs
Even when it is impossible to travel back in time to witness those times, you will have the chance to learn many details about the way they lived. This is all thanks to the experts´ permanent studies and to the protected areas that are home to the remains of dinosaurs, plants and what not, which in some way portray the evolution of vertebrates, along with other details about the period when these creatures roamed the Earth.
Tampalaya National Park
The geological formations in this stunning park in Northeast Argentina (La Rioja province) somehow recreate the context of what originated there – a perfect stage for visitors on a guided tour to reassemble the pieces of how it all came to be. It was declared a “Natural Heritage Site” by UNESCO for the dinosaur fossil remains found in the place.
Tampalaya National Park
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
Located in San Juan province, this park brings together the knowledge of its research center and the wide range of experiences for all tastes – from daytime tours, to full-moon expeditions and bike rides. William Sill was the paleontologist who brought worldwide fame to an area that would eventually be declared a World Heritage Site. The main landmarks in this tour: the Ischigualasto Basin and the paleontological sites.
It may interest you: The 5 Best Trekking Tours in Argentina
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
Bosques Petrificados de Jaramillo National Park
As we travel south to Patagonia and we reach Santa Cruz province, we come across one of the most astounding sceneries that in some way reveals what the Earth used to look like some 150 million years ago. In this National Park, the 3-meter-wide tree trunks speak of the setting that used to be dwelled by dinosaurs.
Bosques Petrificados de Jaramillo National Park
Route of the Dinosaurs in Neuquén
This is definitely one of the most varied on the list. It features parks, museums, scientific institutes, fossils exhibitions, protected areas and so much more. Some of the main attractions include: Villa El Chocón, with its striking sign reading “Beware of Dinosaurs”; the paleontological site Proyecto Dino in Los Barreales, where visitors may see dinosaurs’ footprints and fossils; Rincón de los Sauces to see findings like the Titanosaurus (skull, backbone and tail) and the Overosaurus (part of a backbone and ribs), just to name a few. The last stage features Plaza Huincul, where visitors may see, among other things, the reconstruction of the Argentinosaurus- a 30-meter-long creature.
Route of the Dinosaurs in Neuquén
Edigio Feruglio Museum, Trelew
One of the most innovative in the subject matter. The place features 15 exclusive models of dinosaurs and original fossils in its exhibitions, as well as 3-D animations and interactive rooms. A meeting point for
Edigio Feruglio Museum, Trelew
Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum, Buenos Aires
Not only is it the oldest museum in our country, but it also boasts some exclusive exhibits of these giant prehistoric creatures. Throughout the tour, visitors will be able to learn in a special way about the evolution of this extinct species and when and where the fossils were discovered.
Besides this room, the museum features special sectors that put the spotlight on the pioneer scientists that settled in our country to make these discoveries. The Science Museum connects dinosaurs with our present times in a fascinating way.
Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum, Buenos Aires
Some interesting facts:
● The largest dinosaur in the world was found in Argentina. It is exhibited in the Egidio Feruglio Museum.
● In Patagonia they organize at least ten expeditions a year in search of new fossils.
● Paleontologists from the Natural Sciences Museum discovered a dinosaur with horns called Carnotaurus Sastrei.
● At the time when dinosaurs roamed the planet, Antarctica used to be covered in forests where herbivorous and carnivorous animals abounded. By the end of the Cretaceous period it was also an area inhabited by a great variety of creatures.
