A paleoburrow is an underground shelter excavated by extinct paleo-vertebrate

megafauna In zoology, megafauna (from Ancient Greek, Greek μέγας ''megas'' "large" and Neo-Latin ''fauna'' "animal life") are large animals. The precise definition of the term varies widely, though a common threshold is approximately , this lower en ...

that lived in the

prehistoric era Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

. Most paleoburrows are likely made by giant armadillos and large ground sloths, depending on their size. Thousands of examples have been identified across South America, mostly in the Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

. The first paleoburrow was discovered in Rondonia by Amilcar Adamy in 2010. Paleoburrows, often exposed by development, are threatened by construction and degradation from rain and the elements. Researchers from several Brazilian universities have formed the Paleoburrows Project to raise awareness about their existence, and fight misinformation.

Description

Thousands of sites characterized as paleoburrows have been found across South America, such as in Ponta do Abunã, in

Rondônia Rondônia () is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northern subdivision of the country (central-western part). It is bordered by Acre (state), Acre in the west, Amazonas, Brazil, Amazonas in the north, Mato Grosso in the east, and Bo ...

, within the Amazon region, in the Serra do Gandarela National Park, in

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

, in Monte Bonito, the southern

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

, as well as the Toca do Tatu in Santa Catarina. After the extinction of the megafauna about 10,000 years ago, some paleoburrows were reused by indigenous human populations. Recent searches indicate that these structures were used as temporary shelters as well as for ritual purposes. In the interior of some paleoburrows, researchers discovered stone tools, ceramic artifacts, human burials, and inscriptions engraved in the walls. Paleoburrows are classified as paleontological sites; however, if the remains of ancient populations are also found, the site may become the object of research for both paleontologists and archaeologists. Paleoburrows dug by giant ground sloths often have large claw marks along the walls. Many paleoburrows are exposed by local development, but subsequently eventually destroyed by rain, the elements, or construction. Paleoburrows are sometimes enlarged by erosion. One of the largest reaches 2,000 feet in length over all of its branching tunnels, originally over 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. It was made by many animals over generations. The exact animals which dug the largest burrows, up to 5 feet in diameter, are debated. One group of scientists, including Heinrich Frank, believe that they were dug by giant ground sloths, possibly ''

Catonyx ''Catonyx'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. It lived from 2.5 Ma to about 10,000 years ago, existing for approximately . The most recent date ...

Glossotherium ''Glossotherium'' is an extinct genus of large mylodontid ground sloths of the subfamily Mylodontinae. It represents one of the best-known members of the family, along with ''Mylodon'' and '' Paramylodon''. Reconstructed animals were between ...

,'' or '' Lestodon''. Another group believes that even the largest burrows are attributable to extinct armadillos and/or

pampatheres Pampatheriidae ("Pampas beasts") is an extinct family of large cingulates related to armadillos. They first appeared in South America during the mid-Miocene, and '' Holmesina'' and '' Pampatherium'' spread to North America during the Pleistocen ...

like '' Pampatherium, Holmesina or Propraopus'', even though they were smaller than the sloths. It is unclear why the burrows were dug to their large sizes. Whether the burrows were dug by giant armadillos or giant sloths, they are much larger than would be necessary.

Crotovina

Paleoburrows filled with sediments, deposited over the centuries through rainfall and accumulated due to the porosity of the terrain, are called crotovina. Generally, fossils found in crotovinas exhibit large proportions similar to known megafauna of their geological period.Paleotocas, Crotovinas e Abrigos Subterrâneos
Projeto Paleotoca - UFRGS - agosto/2015

Description

Crotovina

See also

References

Further reading