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Geologist Claims Deep Claw Marks Found in Brazil's Mysterious Tunnels Were Not Made By Humans

Several tunnels with claw marks on ceilings and walls have been identified as the work of an extinct species.

PUBLISHED 6 DAYS AGO

A partial view of the "Gruta da Santa" in Agudo (L), Prints on sand (R) (Cover Image Source: Cavernas BR (L); Unsplash (R) | Photo by Heinrich Frank (L); Timothy Dykes (R))

Paleontologists, to date, have found many marvels that reflect the strength of extinct animals. In the 2000s, one of these marvels in Brazil started getting a lot of attention, stated Discover Magazine. These marvels were magnificent, and the identity of their possible creators impressed many experts.

Measuring a paleoburrow during paleontological fieldwork at Mar del Plata, Argentina, October 2019 (Representative Image Source: Wikimedia Commons/Photo by Xstor)

Researchers identified many similar stunning tunnels in Brazil, and, on examination, were not sure whether it was created by a natural process. Amilcar Adamy, a geologist with the Brazilian Geological Survey, had heard rumors of a peculiar tunnel in South Brazil and set out to investigate it in 2010.

The tunnel he wanted to explore was a few miles north of the Bolivian border. He couldn't contact the owner and was not able to conduct a proper analysis. However, a preliminary inspection made it clear that it wasn't the work of nature. "I’d never seen anything like it before," said Adamy. "It really grabbed my attention. It didn’t look natural." Adamy noted that the tunnel contained a large round passage along with a smooth floor. Around 1,700 miles southeast, a similar tunnel was discovered by Heinrich Frank, a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, a few years ago.

This tunnel was located in the town of Novo Hamburgo. After a few weeks of locating the tunnel, Frank went back to properly analyze the place. The hole was around 15 feet long, and he observed many claw marks on the roof. He was sure that no geological process could create such a formation. After examination, he concluded that the tunnel was a 'Paleoburrow', holes built by extinct giant sloths. "I didn’t know there was such a thing as paleoburrows," said Frank. "I’m a geologist, a professor, and I’d never even heard of them."

Paleontologists have defined these giant sloths as creatures that looked like a hamster but were the size of an elephant, stated BBC. These extinct beings grew to the height of around 13 feet, and used to walk on all fours. These species used to roam around in South America, 15 million to 10,000 years ago, and since these discoveries are speculated to have created long tunnels to inhabit. Researchers believe that they constructed these tunnels by digging.

A common feature for most of these paleoburrows is the presence of claw marks possibly belonging to their creators. Many of these tunnels are located in the Southern Canyons Path Geopark. There is a 6-foot-tall tunnel in this geopark that features long claw marks all over its walls. This tunnel appears to be carved out of a massive rock. In the last 17 years, more than 1,500 palaeoburrows have been detected in South Brazil. This has earned the region the honor of having the highest concentration of megafauna paleoburrows in the world. Most of these tunnels are situated in the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

Some of the tunnels are also in danger from human activity, like a collection of six 40 m-long tunnels in Minas Gerais that have been brought under protection by authorities in June 2023. Nobody knows exactly why so many paleoburrows are found in South Brazil. Examinations are taking place to find the exact cause.