Patagonia has not always been the cold, arid and dry place it is today. About 17Ma – because the Andes were much lower allowing humid winds from the west to reach the area – it consisted of substantial forests and grasslands. It was also inhabited by strange and wonderful animals, many of which are now extinct.
![](https://geologybook.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Early-Miocene-Paleobiology-2-3-e1596478300992.jpg)