Part of the western border of the Central Sierras, that rise sharply from the surrounding pampa region of Northwest Argentina, Ischigualasto Natural Park is a desert area, formed by layers of continental sediments deposited by rivers, lakes and swamps over the entire Triassic period (245-208 million years ago). It is the only place in the world where nearly all of the Triassic is represented in an undisturbed sequence of rock deposits. The sediments contain fossils of a wide range of plants and animals including the ancestors of mammals and dinosaurs. They constitute the world's most complete continental fossil record known from the Triassic, revealing the evolution of vertebrates as well as the environments they lived in during this period. This is why this park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 2000, together with Talampaya Natural Park.
Read more »