Friday, September 18, 2026
Science

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

Ask any zoo-goer and they will tell you that capybaras are adorable. Ask a scientist specializing in the rodents, which resemble oversized guinea pigs, and they will tell you they are obligate semiaquatic herbivores that indicate persistent riparian ecosystems. In plain English: Capybaras like it we...

Capybaras in the desert? Fossil casts doubt on Atacama as world's oldest continuously dry region
Image: Phys.org
Ask any zoo-goer and they will tell you that capybaras are adorable. Ask a scientist specializing in the rodents, which resemble oversized guinea pigs, and they will tell you they are obligate semiaquatic herbivores that indicate persistent riparian ecosystems. In plain English: Capybaras like it wet.

Originally published at Phys.org

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