Thanks to the huge number of fossils found in its soil, Patagonia is a kind of Mecca of paleontology. Some of the largest dinosaurs ever known lived here, and today their bones, their tracks and the forests that turned to stone can be seen in museums, fossil sites and natural monuments in Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz, and on the Chilean side too.
Why Patagonia is dinosaur land
Millions of years ago the climate of the region was very warm and humid. Land dinosaurs and marine species left their remains in rock layers that now surface in the steppe.
It is the remains or trace of a living being in which, over millions of years, minerals replaced the original material. It can be a bone, a tree trunk, a footprint or an egg.
Near Villa El Chocón, Giganotosaurus carolinii, one of the largest known carnivores, was discovered in 1993, and near Plaza Huincul, Argentinosaurus huinculensis, a gigantic herbivore.
About 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, the dinosaurs became extinct. Their fossils are now the main tool to reconstruct the history of the Earth.
Where to see dinosaurs and fossils
Villa El Chocón, with its museum and dinosaur tracks by the lake; Plaza Huincul, with the Carmen Funes Museum; and Zapala, with the Olsacher Museum.
In Trelew, the Egidio Feruglio Paleontology Museum, home to Patagotitan; near Sarmiento, the Petrified Forest and the Desiderio Torres Museum; and the regional museum in Rada Tilly.
The Paleontological Museum in Bariloche, the natural science museum in Cipolletti and, on the Santa Cruz plateau, the Jaramillo Petrified Forest, with huge tree trunks turned to stone.
Near Puerto Natales, the Mylodon Cave holds the story of a giant sloth that lived in prehistoric Patagonia.
Paleontology museums and sites 11
Tips for your visit
Fossils are protected by law. If you find one in the field, do not pick it up or move it: tell the nearest museum or authority.
Fossil sites and tracks are best explored with guides: they know what to look for and help protect the place.
Strong sun, wind and little shade: bring water, a hat, sunscreen and comfortable shoes.
Paleontology museums are a great plan with children and on rainy days. Check opening hours and guided tours in advance.
To learn more, read Earth and Continental Drift, Dinosaurs and their features, Fossils in Patagonia and Fossil finds in Patagonia, and browse the full list of paleontology museums and sites.
