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A few years later Brazilian scientist Heinrich Frank brought these remarkable structures into the spotlight after encountering his first paleoburrow near Novo Hamburgo. Since that initial discovery, Frank has identified more than 1,500 tunnels across Brazil. Some of these burrows span hundreds of feet in length. One of the tunnels, which had branches, was about 2000 feet long. Researchers have revealed that they are at least 8,000 to 10,000 years old.
Heinrich found his first clue, when he himself started investigating the caves. When he examined the ceilings of the tunnels, Heinrich Frank noticed a striking detail that hinted at their origin: distinct grooves etched into the weathered surfaces of granite, basalt, and sandstone. These markings, which he identified as claw marks from a massive prehistoric creature, provided a crucial clue.
“Most are composed of long, shallow grooves running parallel to each other, seemingly made by two or three claws,” Frank and his team described in a 2016 research paper. Most caves were smooth, but some irregular ones which were produced by claws. Considering the size of the tunnels and the distinctive claw marks on their walls, researchers are now confident these are megafauna burrows. They have identified the likely creators as giant ground sloths and giant armadillos.
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Despite these massive creatures reaching up to 4.6 meters (15 feet) in length and weighing approximately 2,590 kg (5,709 pounds), a single ground sloth would likely have devoted a significant portion of its lifespan solely to excavating tunnels as vast and intricate as the paleoburrows. But what was the need for such huge caves is still a mystery because much smaller burrows would have suited their needs to escape the climate, predators, or humidity, just fine.
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Publish date : 2024-11-28 05:30:00
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