Head of State presented a great paleontological discovery made in the state of Táchira

Published at: 13/10/2025 09:09 PM

In the Digital Zone Segment, of the 94th edition, of his Con Maduro+ program, the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, presented a great paleontological discovery made in the state of Táchira, which could correspond to one of the ancestors of dolphins.

“Recently, Minister Gabriela Jiménez informed me of a great discovery in Táchira, he is perhaps one of the ancestors of dolphins, baby ichthyosaurus, which in its adult stage is estimated, as the scholars have said, could reach up to 25 meters (...) it is estimated to be 145 million years old, let's give it an average of 100 million years. It's a great scientific discovery for paleontology in Venezuela,” he said.

The discovery, a specimen from the Cretaceous period, becomes the first specimen of ichthyosaurus recorded and documented in Venezuelan territory.

For her part, the Sectorial Vice President of Science, Technology, Education and Health, Gabriela Jiménez confirmed the discovery of a prehistoric fish fossil and an ichthyosaur in the Lobatera municipality, Táchira state.

He indicated that the team carried out explorations in the municipalities of Francisco de Miranda, Jauregui (Sector La Quinta) and Lobatera.

He specified that this finding is the product of a strategic alliance between a community of researchers from the Ministry of Popular Power for Science and Technology (MINCYT); the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC); the Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology (FUNDACITE) of the state of Táchira and the National Experimental University Francisco de Miranda (UNEFM), which are the institutions that are carrying out research to rewrite the paleontological history of Venezuela.

Jiménez explained that a paleontological expedition consolidated the strategic alliance between the above-mentioned institutions, in order to carry out paleontological prospecting in various locations in the state of Táchira, where fossil remains of dinosaurs have been found in the past.

The Deputy Minister for the Application of Scientific Knowledge, Alberto Quintero, pointed out that Venezuela is full of paleontological sites of great scientific value, not only in the state of Táchira, but also in several areas of the country, where fossil remains of prehistoric animals have been discovered.

He also indicated that Venezuela has large deposits that must be explored, which represents an opportunity to continue to deepen scientific knowledge of the national territory.

During the segment, a couple of young Venezuelan scientists presented paleontological findings in the country, through the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), which demonstrated the existence of dinosaur life in Venezuela thousands of years ago.

In addition, they explained the appearance of rocks that verify their habitat in Venezuela.

In addition, the Geoscience engineer, Rodolfo Sánchez described the exact process of discovering a prehistoric fish fossil and an ichthyosaur from the Cretaceous period in the Lobatera municipality, Táchira state.

In his presentation, the doctor in Anthropology, Anderson Ramírez explained part of the achievements generated by the Táchira Museum, to enrich knowledge about the existence of dinosaurs in Venezuela.

Mazo News Team