The Land Before Time, Jurassic Park, Ice Age or Arlo’s Journey are just some of the films that feature dinosaurs. And these reptiles, typical of the Mesozoic, have always attracted the attention of young and old. The variety of species that existed, their size, the mystery that surrounds their disappearance and the fear that some like the T-Rex instill, are, surely, the causes of their magnetism.
Well, those who consider themselves lovers of these disappeared animals do not need to travel to Argentina or the United States to see their footprints. Much closer, in Conca Dellà (Pallars Jussà), there are several of the best paleontological sites in Europe. Scattered throughout different places in this valley, we will locate signs that indicate that 66 million years ago this area and its inhabitants were very different.
What makes Conca Dellà special from other areas of the planet is that fossil dinosaur remains representative of its last four million years of existence have been found. This information has been very useful for scientists when it comes to knowing how they evolved in Europe before their extinction.
Different species lived here, including the titanosaur, the dromaeosaur (which was a small carnivorous cousin of the velociraptor) and the hadrosaur, known as the duckbill and which fed, among other things, on aquatic plants.
Any mortal who walks near the town of Orcau will only appreciate a beautiful landscape that changes with the passing of the seasons. But whoever is lucky enough to be accompanied by a paleontologist will discover dozens of footprints left by titanosaurs on a rock wall. This type of reptile reached fifteen meters, five of which corresponded to its neck.
In La Posa, where there is a church, a picnic area and also bunkers from the Civil War, there is another very special site. A few years ago they discovered some footprints that were attributed to dinosaur footprints, but subsequent investigations have confirmed that they are about 2,000 marks left by marine stripes at the end of the Cretaceous period, when the sea covered the mountains.
In Basturs, in addition to hadrosaur footprints, there is a titanosaur egg site that a few years ago was one of the most relevant internationally. These zygotes were spherical and measured about 20 centimeters in diameter. Of course, in order to identify the paleontological remains in the rock, it is advisable to be accompanied by an expert guide like those from Eureka to help us find them. Currently, visits to see egg marks are made in another enclave located in the neighboring town of Suterranya.
In Isona, the capital of Conca Dellà, there is a museum that explains the Roman past of this town, Aeso, but which also reviews the dinosaurs that inhabited the area. The center, recently remodeled and expanded, proposes a journey through the Cretaceous period and exhibits different paleontological remains recovered in different sites. A visit to the Conca Dellà Museum is very interesting to understand how these giants lived 66 million years ago. From the center they also offer guided tours by paleontologists to the aforementioned sites.
An hour’s drive from Isona is Coll de Nargó (Alt Urgell), which can be reached via a winding and beautiful road – the L-511 -, much appreciated by motorcyclists. Although this town is not located in Conca Dellà, it also deserves a mention. Coll de Nargó has the Cretaceous viewpoint (located in the most important titanosaur egg site in Europe) and the Dinosfera Paleoenvironmental Center, which invites you to take a trip back in time of 70 million years to discover how these enormous animals.
