Over 1,500 gigantic tunnels have been discovered, raising many questions about the type of prehistoric creature responsible.
The wildlands of North South America are not only the “domain” of the Manchineel – the most dangerous tree in the world, but they also hold hundreds of massive tunnels spacious enough for humans to traverse comfortably.
According to research conducted by archaeologists, the history of these tunnels in Brazil dates back at least 13,000 years. Did humans truly possess such construction technology at that time? If so, this provides new insights into the capabilities of prehistoric humans. If not, what natural force could have created such a masterpiece?
Although these tunnels have existed for over 10,000 years, they were only discovered in the last decade. In 2005, several field exploration teams stumbled upon this group of tunnels on the Brazilian plateau, inside one of the tunnels.
Gigantic tunnels discovered in North South America.
These tunnels were not created by humans and are not the result of any known geological processes. The traces of gigantic claws found on the walls and ceilings of the tunnels serve as evidence for researchers to uncover the origins of these formations.
Through investigation and research, geologists believe that these large-scale tunnels were made by an ancient, extinct ground sloth and refer to them as “paleo-tunnels.”
The term “paleo-tunnel” was coined by Professor Heinrich Frank at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil when he discovered a similar tunnel in a construction site in Novo Hamburgo in the early 2000s.
He and his colleagues continued to uncover over 1,500 other tunnels solely in Rio Grande do Sul, some of which extend hundreds of meters and branch into various offshoots.
The largest tunnel measures up to 610 meters long, 1.8 meters high, and 1 to 1.5 meters wide. It is estimated that about 4,000 tons of earth and rock were excavated to create a tunnel of this size.
Numerous claw marks from the gigantic creature found in these tunnels.
According to Professor Frank, these colossal paleo-tunnels were created by a giant ground sloth whose body size was comparable to that of modern elephants.
This ancient ground sloth lived in South America around 10,000 years ago and is considered the largest mammal on Earth, surpassing the size of woolly mammoths.
Megatherium is a genus of ground sloth the size of an elephant that lived 2 million to 8,000 years ago. Its closest relative is Nothrotheriops, primarily consisting of sloth species the size of bears.
However, some experts argue that ancient armadillos, also known as tatus – a type of hard-shelled reptile – may also be responsible for these gigantic tunnels.
As questions about the origins of these mysterious tunnels remain unresolved, even larger questions arise.
