| PREHISTORIC WHALE CEMETERY UNCOVERED IN REGION V |
| Tuesday, 19 June 2007 | |
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An archeological site containing the bones of numerous whales – dating back five million years - was discovered near the Region V community of Puchuncaví in late May. Paleontologist Verónica Andrade discovered the fossil-rich area while working with her paleontology students. “Based on my experience, this could be the biggest whale discovery in Chile. It is a historic milestone that the students are now working to conserve and recover with different techniques,” said Andrade.According to Andrade, the whale cemetery spans almost five hectares and has within it an enormous concentration of whale skeletons. All the uncovered bones belong to the balaenopteridae family, ancestor of the modern blue whale. Archeologists thus far have recovered a whale rib of almost two meters in length, lumbar vertebrae, and an enormous jaw. During the past 70 years, 11 prehistoric whale fossils have been found in Chile. A 1987 discover in Reñaca by Andrade, a specialist in the paleontology of cetaceans, has helped the paleontologists at Puchuncaví better understand their newest discovery. Provincial governor Ricardo Brave visited the site Saturday, just as a new discovery was being made: a vertebrae that may reveal more about the family to which the whales belong. A committee of scientists, paleontology students, and the Board of National Monuments has been formed to protect the area. SOURCE: LA TERCERA By: Claire Keneally ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) |
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