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Paleontological site of Las Higueruelas

Alcolea de Calatrava, Campo de Calatrava, Ciudad Real

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Paleontological site of Las Higueruelas

Nature · Alcolea de Calatrava, Campo de Calatrava, Ciudad Real

A fossil-bearing deposit from the Upper Pliocene on the Las Higueruelas estate, Alcolea de Calatrava, formed in the ancient lake that occupied a volcanic caldera. It was discovered in 1935 by Casimiro Plaza, and in 1970 new remains of the mastodon Anancus avernensis were located; excavation campaigns continued in 1971, 1990 and later years. It has yielded remains of mastodons, cheetahs, rhinoceroses, gazelles, deer and giant tortoises, preserved beneath volcanic flows; part of the fossils are on display at the Museo de Ciudad Real, next to a life-size diorama recreating the period.

Photo: PePeEfe (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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