Source-linked briefing Science

Fossil Evidence Challenges Atacama’s Status as Oldest Continuously Arid Desert

Fossil Evidence Challenges Atacama’s Status as Oldest Continuously Arid Desert

New fossil finds, including remains linked to semiaquatic capybaras, suggest parts of today’s Atacama Desert once hosted persistent waterways. The study raises doubts that the region has been continuously dry longer than any other on Earth.

Original headline

Capybaras in the desert? Fossil casts doubt on Atacama as world's oldest continuously dry region