Paleontology
Fossils abound at Monte León. Petrified crabs,
forever etched on rocks, reveal themselves at ebb tide.
Giant oysters and clams, two of Earth's
oldest life forms, bear witness to the time when Patagonia
lay under the ocean.
The first humans in Monte León were probably
familiar with extinct animals like the glyptodon, a
giant armadillo and the megatherium, a giant sloth.
Some scientists believe this megafauna was hunted to
extinction by humans arriving in the area about 10,000
years ago. Native traditions, still alive by the late
nineteenth century, remembered a giant armadillo-like
animal. Fossile evidence of these anciente life forms is
plentiful at Monte León.
Paleontological heritage is protected by local, federal
and international laws, and it should not be collected or
otherwise disturbed by visitors.
