This exhibition delves into the scientific findings from a significant paleontological site in the Guadix Basin, Granada. It unveils thousands of fossil bones from large mammals that roamed Western Europe 1.8 million years ago. Discover the peculiar world of prehistoric Iberia, featuring saber-toothed felines, primitive zebras, and giant cheetahs. The display highlights the research process and unique specimens from the Plio-Pleistocene boundary.
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This exhibition showcases findings from a paleontological site in Granada, Spain, revealing fauna from 1.8 million years ago. It details the discovery of thousands of fossil bones of previously unknown or poorly understood mammals that inhabited Europe during the transition from the Tertiary to the Quaternary periods.
The exhibition 'El largo viaje hacia occidente: fauna ibérica hace 1.800.000 años' presents the scientific and technical results of research conducted at a significant paleontological site in the Guadix Basin, Granada. Excavations, initiated in July 2001, uncovered thousands of fossil bones of large mammals from the Plio-Pleistocene boundary, a period characterized by intense climate change and poorly understood in Western Europe. The display highlights the rich and peculiar world of prehistoric Iberia, where species like saber-toothed felines, primitive zebras, spiral-horned antelopes, rhinoceroses, and giant cheetahs coexisted with African-origin river boars, brown hyenas, okapi-like giraffes, and wolf and jackal ancestors. Over 30 mammal species, some new to science and others identified outside Africa for the first time, have been characterized from this site, which was preserved due to the activity of extinct giant hyenas. The exhibition features 20 informational panels covering various aspects of the research. It introduces the known faunal context for the Eurasian and African Plio-Pleistocene boundary, details the specific characteristics of the Fonelas P-1 site and its investigation, presents other nearby paleontological discoveries, and outlines the scientific project and its team. Aspects such as excavation, fossil restoration, novel database management software, geology, taphonomy (how the site formed), biostratigraphy (dating through fossils), and the most significant large mammal species identified are explained. The exhibit also displays unique fossil specimens, some exceptionally preserved or representing new species, alongside a striking association of fossil bones gnawed by hyenas in their original sediment. The goal is to convey the advances in this ongoing, novel research and showcase a fossil record representing one of the most unknown and spectacular terrestrial mammal dispersions in Earth's evolutionary history.
This exhibition is no longer available. Information provided is historical context from its presentation period. Specific ticketing details are not available on this page for this past exhibition, but generally, access to the Museo Geominero is explained on their main website. As it is marked 'Exposición no disponible', no current visitor information applies.
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