Descriptive Entry

This accession consists of the "Cerro Ballena" website as it existed on June 16, 2014. Cerro Ballena is a unique paleontological site located in the Atacama Region of Chile. In 2010, paleontologists discovered a rich fossil site containing dozens of whale skeletons, along with the remains of other extinct marine mammals and other marine vertebrates. In 2011, paleontologists from Chile and the United States conducted rapid documentation and digitization of this site. This website provides information about the site and the project which was led by Nicholas D. Pyenson, Research Geologist in the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Paleobiology. The Digitization Program Office within the Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Chief Information Officer, provided three-dimensional digitization support for the project. Data from the digitization is not included in this accession. Materials are in electronic format.