A fossilised whale graveyard, estimated to be five million years old, has been unearthed in the Atacama Desert of Chile, with British palaeontologists spearheading the international analysis. The site, located near the town of Caldera, contains the remarkably preserved remains of at least 75 individual whales, representing multiple species.
The discovery was made in 2020 during the construction of a new road, but the scale of the find and its scientific significance have only now been fully assessed. The fossils are concentrated in a single sedimentary layer, suggesting a catastrophic mass stranding event. Researchers from the University of Oxford, the Natural History Museum in London, and the University of Leeds are collaborating with Chilean geologists to understand the circumstances of the whales’ deaths.
Lead researcher Dr. Nicholas Pyenson, a palaeontologist at the Smithsonian Institution, noted that the site is unique in both its density of fossils and the preservation of soft tissues. “This is the most extraordinary marine mammal fossil site discovered in South America,” he said. “The number of individuals, the diversity of species, and the quality of preservation offer an unprecedented window into the past.”
The whales include extinct species such as the baleen whale *Balaenoptera physalus*, as well as modern relatives. The high concentration of skeletons suggests that repeated mass strandings occurred over a period of centuries, possibly due to toxic algal blooms. Similar events have been documented in modern times, for example the mass stranding of 800 pilot whales in New Zealand in 2017.
Professor Richard Twitchett, a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum, explained the link to current climate change. “Understanding past marine extinctions can inform present-day conservation strategies. The Atacama desert is a hyper-arid region, but five million years ago it was under the sea. The whales died in shallow coastal waters, and their remains were smothered by sediment, leading to exceptional preservation.”
Chemical analysis of the surrounding rock will determine if algal blooms were the direct cause. Scientists are also studying whether tectonic activity or changes in sea level played a role. The findings will be published in the journal *Proceedings of the Royal Society B*.
The discovery underscores the importance of international collaboration in palaeontology. Dr. Eduardo Revilla, a geologist at the University of Chile, said that the site would not have been properly excavated without British expertise. “The British team brought advanced statistical methods and dating techniques. It has been a model of how nations can work together to unlock Earth’s history.”
The whale graveyard is now preserved as a protected area. Replicas of selected skeletons will be displayed at the National Museum of Natural History in Santiago. The original fossils remain in situ, covered with sand to protect them from erosion until further resources can be allocated for a permanent study centre.
