The Government of the Province of Córdoba commenced the recovery and analysis of fossil remains discovered by a student near the Río Ctalamochita, according to La Voz del Interior. On the morning of February 1, personnel from the Córdoba Culture Agency arrived at the site to identify and manage the transfer of the specimen, which was identified as the shell of a glyptodont.
On January 31, Samuel Colombano, a student from the University of Villa María, was resting at the Río Ctalamochita when he stumbled upon the fossil remains, initially mistaking them for a piece of crockery. Realizing the potential significance of his find, Colombano contacted Mayor Guillermo Ristorto, who informed provincial authorities about the discovery.
Experts, including Adán Tauber, director of the Provincial Museum of Natural Sciences and a paleontology specialist, confirmed the species as Glyptodon reticulatus. Tauber explained that this species inhabited the Chaco-Pampean Region and the sierras of Córdoba during the Late Pleistocene epoch, which began 126,000 years ago and lasted until 11,700 years ago.
"The glyptodont is a remarkable creature," Tauber said, according to La Voz del Interior. "Glyptodonts are a family that has different species and genera, having appeared about 40 million years ago."
The glyptodont was a herbivorous mammal that could reach three meters in length and weigh more than a ton, with the largest specimens found measuring up to 4.20 meters and weighing up to 2,000 kilos. Its most distinctive feature was its bony shell, which served as protection against predators, similar to the shell of modern armadillos.
The task of recovering the fossil remains is expected to be challenging. The material is in permanent contact with water, which will hinder the work, according to La Voz del Interior. Nevertheless, officials are optimistic about the significance of the find.
The recovery efforts are being coordinated by the local government and the Directorate of Cultural Heritage, which depends on the governmental agency Córdoba Cultura.
"They are increasingly certain that there was interaction between the first humans who populated the region and these megamammals," reported La Voz del Interior. In previous finds near the Capilla de Candonga, remains of these megamammals were found associated with a fragment of a child's skull dated between 10,400 and 12,000 years old.
The latest discovery allows scientists to further explore whether humans may have intervened in the extinction of such megafauna. "This allows reconstruction of whether there was interaction, how it was, and whether humans intervened in the extinction of this megafauna," Tauber explained.
Glyptodonts are mammals native to South America that crossed through the Isthmus of Panama to North America approximately 129,000 years ago. While they are related to armadillos, it is thought that glyptodonts are not direct ancestors of modern armadillos, which appeared earlier, about 60 million years ago, and still exist today.
The glyptodont remains found by Colombano could be more than 11,700 years old. Tauber suggested that Glyptodon reticulatus may have survived beyond the Late Pleistocene epoch, reaching into what is called the early Holocene epoch.
In addition to this discovery, other finds of Glyptodon reticulatus were made in localities in the province of Córdoba and were studied for decades. Notably, remains were found in the sierras of Córdoba, north of Los Gigantes, in a site called Pampa de Vaca Corral, which is the highest point above sea level at about 2,600 meters.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.