News Categories Health & Science DIGGING INTO PATAGONIA’S JURASSIC MYSTERIES
| DIGGING INTO PATAGONIA’S JURASSIC MYSTERIES |
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| Written by Thomás Rothe | |
| Wednesday, 28 January 2009 | |
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A team of 20 Chilean and German paleontologists on Tuesday began a three year endeavor to recover and restore the Southern Hemisphere's largest ichthyosaur fossil concentration, located in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. Ichthyosaurs were large predatory reptiles that swam the world’s oceans over 200 million years ago. Working together with the German University of Heidelberg, the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) has been conducting preliminary studies on the fossil bed since 2004, when a group of glaciology students from the Universidad de Magallanes accidentally discovered the ichthyosaur skeletal remains embedded in rock uncovered by a receding glacier. INACH scientists believe the Torres del Paine fossils belong to the last living ichthyosaurs and are roughly 90 million years old – dating back the Cretaceous period (about 25 million years before dinosaurs became extinct). The research team is convinced the bones contain important clues about the possible causes of the ichthyosaur extinction. “No sort of rapid event provoked their extinction,” Marcelo Leppe, INACH's chief paleobiologist, told The Santiago Times. “There are fossils of both adult and young ichthyosaurs, indicating that the species gradually died out. And we are not only studying the ichthyosaurs, but the entire environment in which they lived. There are fossils of fish species, tree trunks, and different organisms that all give us clues.” Leppe's tentative hypothesis is that the changing pH in the world's oceans may have attributed to the creature’s demise. “We are talking about global events that occurred millions of years ago,” he said. “But these are the same issues that are affecting us today, so we are studying these fossils thinking about current issues as well.” The abundance and quality of the fossils discovered in Torres del Paine is priceless, according to Leppe, who said the discovery could hold up to just as much importance as large fossil beds like Holzmaden in Germany, where paleontologists discovered fossilized ichthyosaur fetuses. That find revealed that ichthyosaurs – although they were reptiles – did not lay eggs. With 12 fossils completely intact and another nine incomplete (meaning parts of the skeleton remain buried underneath rock sediment), fossils must be extracted with extreme care. With the help of the Chilean Navy, the scientists plan to carve the fossils out in large blocks to avoid damaging the remains, which would then be flown off by helicopter. Once all the fossils are extracted, they will be displayed in a “crude exposition” to the public at INACH's research center in Punta Arenas. “We want the people of Punta Arenas to see what treasures lay here,” said Leppe. Sometime in late March the ichthyosaur fossils will be shipped to the University of Heidelberg to be studied more in depth. “Unfortunately, we don't have the proper technology to study the fossils here in Chile,” said Leppe, who confirmed the fossils would return to Chile after two years. For Leppe, the project is a good opportunity to build on Chile's human capital because post graduate study abroad opportunities will arise for both Chilean and German paleontology students. Such is the case of Judith Pardo, a biology graduate from the Universidad de Magallanes, who has already received a scholarship to complete doctorate studies at the University of Heidelberg. Torres del Paine is also slated to benefit from the ichthyosaur discovery. Within the next several years park authorities plan to implement special interest tours to boost park visits. The National Park already receives approximately 100,000 visitors per year. By Thomás Rothe |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 January 2009 ) |
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