The fossil find of the century: World's 'biggest and most diverse' collection of Jurassic remains is uncovered in Argentina

  • The site spans 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometres)
  • Fossils of plants and animals between 140 and 160 million years old
  • It preserves hard and soft-bodied organisms, unlike most fossil deposits

A huge new site containing fossils from the Jurassic era has been discovered in Argentina.

It hosts the 'biggest and most diverse' collection of fossils from the period ever discovered and was spotted when earth above the fossils eroded away. 

The relics of plants and animals that lived between 140 and 160 million years ago were exposed, including soft-bodied organisms that are rarely found in such deposits. 

A huge new site (pictured) containing fossils from the Jurassic era has been discovered in Argentina. It hosts the 'biggest and most diverse' collection of fossils from the period ever discovered and was spotted when earth above the fossils eroded away

A huge new site (pictured) containing fossils from the Jurassic era has been discovered in Argentina. It hosts the 'biggest and most diverse' collection of fossils from the period ever discovered and was spotted when earth above the fossils eroded away

The site in Patagonia spans 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometres).

'No other place in the world contains the same amount and diversity of Jurassic fossils,' said Juan Garcia Massini geologist at the Regional Center for Scientific Research and Technology Transfer (CRILAR). 

Massini was one of the authors of a paper that announced the discovery of the site in the journal Ameghiniana.

He said the fossils give a great insight into the way the world looked at the time.

The site in Patagonia spans 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometres). It has long been known that the Deseado Massif area in Patagonia was the site of Jurassic hot springs but this has now been confirmed

The site in Patagonia spans 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometres). It has long been known that the Deseado Massif area in Patagonia was the site of Jurassic hot springs but this has now been confirmed

The fossils were ‘extremely well-preserved’ in chert rock. A leafy twig from a conifer is shown

The fossils were 'extremely well-preserved' in chert rock. A leafy twig from a conifer is shown

'The site is special for a couple of reasons,' Massini told MailOnline. 

'It preserves both, hard- as well as soft-bodied organisms in their original context unlike most fossil deposits known.' 

The main deciding factor for what was preserved at the time was the level of water. 

The landscape in the Jurassic looked much like Yellowstone national park looks today. 

It would have had hot water coming out of geysers, which created shallow pools of waters, wetlands and swampy areas where a diverse group of plants, animals and microscopic organisms lived.

'The waters, super-concentrated with minerals due to its initially high temperature, was in many cases gradually deposited over the bodies of the communities along with their substrates,' Massini told MailOnline.

'This means when you analyse one such rock you can find a sample of those organisms, which in cases became preserved in life position.'

The fossils were preserved almost immediately, in less than a day in some cases.

'You can see the landscape as it appeared in the Jurassic - how thermal waters, lakes and streams as well as plants and other parts of the ecosystem were distributed,' he said.

A sample of chert, the fossil-bearing rock, that was found in the Deseado Massif area in Patagonia is pictured. The researchers said that analysing such rocks reveal samples of organisms, which in some cases at the site became preserved in so-called 'life position'

A sample of chert, the fossil-bearing rock, that was found in the Deseado Massif area in Patagonia is pictured. The researchers said that analysing such rocks reveal samples of organisms, which in some cases at the site became preserved in so-called 'life position'

The Jurassic world came before the Cretaceous one, when everything became more 'modern', according to Massini.

This means 'the site in Patagonia can let us learn how terrestrial ecosystems where structured and functioned before that 'modernisation'.'

The most similar fossil site known is the Rhynie Chert in Scotland, and is twice as old as the one in Patagonia.

The difference is that in Patagonia the rocks are well exposed and in some cases the original structure of the landscape is preserved. 

Fern stems shown preserved in rock, discovered in the site in Argentina are pictured. The fossils are between 140 and 160 million years old. The region hosts many middle to late Jurassic age geothermal  features represented by silicon and calcium rich chemical precipitates from the hot springs

Fern stems shown preserved in rock, discovered in the site in Argentina are pictured. The fossils are between 140 and 160 million years old. The region hosts many middle to late Jurassic age geothermal features represented by silicon and calcium rich chemical precipitates from the hot springs

A colony of bacteria on an ephiphytic plant is pictured. The researchers know with a greater degree of precision where the samples they collect, and the fossils they contain, come from within the original landscape because the rocks in the region are well exposed 

A colony of bacteria on an ephiphytic plant is pictured. The researchers know with a greater degree of precision where the samples they collect, and the fossils they contain, come from within the original landscape because the rocks in the region are well exposed 

THE JURASSIC PERIOD

The Jurassic world came before the Cretaceous one, when everything became more 'modern', according to the study. 

It occurred from between 199.6 and 145.5 million years ago.

This means the site of Jurassic fossils found in Patagonia can teach us about how terrestrial ecosystems where structured and functioned before the 'modernisation' of the Cretaceous period.

This means the researchers know with a greater degree of precision where the samples they collect, and the fossils they contain, come from within the original landscape.

This can be useful to learn about the different ecological preferences of the organisms preserved.

The next step for the researchers is to understand more clearly how the environment affects what was preserved.

'We are now actively preparing the samples to get to know all that it is preserved to describe it,' Massini told MailOnline.

'We are also exploring this region in Patagonia trying to understand different aspects of the structure of the landscape and their relationship with fossil preservation.'

The fossils were preserved almost immediately, in less than a day in some cases and were extremely well-preserved. 'You can see how fungi, cyanobacteria and worms moved when they were alive,' lead author Massini said. The fossil of a nematode-like worm is pictured

The fossils were preserved almost immediately, in less than a day in some cases and were extremely well-preserved. 'You can see how fungi, cyanobacteria and worms moved when they were alive,' lead author Massini said. The fossil of a nematode-like worm is pictured

The newly found fossil site in Patagonia spans 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometres). Fungi preserved on a pollen grain from a conifer is pictured

The newly found fossil site in Patagonia spans 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometres). Fungi preserved on a pollen grain from a conifer is pictured

THE DESEADO MASSIF REGION

It has long been known the Deseado Massif area in Patagonia was the site of Jurassic hot springs.

The region hosts many middle to late Jurassic age geothermal features represented by silicon and calcium rich chemical precipitates from the hot springs.

in 2011, researchers discovered the region was home to hot springs, which showed there was a pause in the explosive volcanic activity, which marked the end of the Jurassic era.

They found 23 different fossil sites in the Deseado Massif area, five of which were studied in detail.

It has long been known the Deseado Massif area in Patagonia was the site of Jurassic hot springs. 

The region hosts many middle to late Jurassic age geothermal and epithermal features represented by silicon and calcium rich chemical precipitates from the hot springs.

In 2011, researchers discovered that the region was home to hot springs, which showed there was a pause in the explosive volcanic activity, which marked the end of the Jurassic era. 

They found 23 different fossil sites in the Deseado Massif area, five of which were studied in detail. 

However, the plant and animal fossils have only been discovered recently in the region, and not many individual sites have been found containing them, the researchers said.

The fossils found by the researchers were 'extremely well-preserved' in the chert rock, and so could possibly lead to a new discovery.

'You can see how fungi, cyanobacteria and worms moved when they were alive,' Massini said.