In Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert, Farmer-turned-fossil hunter Cesar Perdomo has built a fossil museum with over 5,000 Miocene-era finds.
Self-taught and driven by passion, he preserves ancient creatures like glyptodons and terror birds.

Tatacoa Desert

Cesar Perdomo, a dedicated farmer and fossil enthusiast, has established a remarkable paleontological museum amidst the arid landscape of Colombia's Tatacoa Desert. This ambitious endeavor, fueled solely by his passion and without any financial backing, features more than 5,000 fossils from the Miocene era. In this era, approximately 13 million years ago, the region was a lush tropical forest replete with colossal mammals, such as towering crocodiles and giant, flightless terror birds.

Although Perdomo is a self-taught paleontologist, his foundational knowledge stems from interactions with Japanese and American paleontologists who visited prior to Colombia's civil unrest in the 1980s. He painstakingly and safely transported major fossil finds over a decade, now showcased at his community-run museum, aptly named La Tormenta. His commitment is underscored by a significant discovery: the first terror bird fossil found in the tropics, reshaping the understanding of ancient ecosystems in this area.

Andres Link, a Bogota-based professor, has been assisting Perdomo with the organization and display of his collection. The Tatacoa region's abundant fossil record earned it the status of a UNESCO World Geological Heritage Site the previous year. However, there is concern about the future preservation of this site, as Professor Link highlights the need for substantial investment from governmental, academic, and private sectors. Currently, the museum and its mission mainly rely on passionate individuals like Perdomo, who is motivated by a deep, almost familial connection to the fossils and the land of Tatacoa.



Colombian farmer builds desert museum against all odds

Cesar Perdomo's makeshift paleontological museum in the heart of the Tatacoa desert is a testament to his passion and dedication. Without funding, this 44-year-old farmer has collected more than 5,000 fossils from the Miocene era, when this was a vast tropical forest, disconnected from North America and dominated by massive mammals, including towering crocodiles and giant flightless terror birds. I'm self-taught, a farmer with a passion for fossils. Paleontology runs in my blood from a young age. Fossils are my life. I'm humbly building this small community-run farmer's museum because you cannot forget where you come from. Cesar gained his knowledge from Japanese and American paleontologists who visited in the 1980s, but left due to the country's civil war, but he continued their work. This is a glyptodon, a giant armadillo. It's intact, tail, shell, skull, jaw, hands and skin. I spent over 10 years figuring out how to move it safely. Two years ago, I finally did. It's a slow process. It took 13 million years to form, so rushing it and ruining it in a day makes no sense. In time, one paleontologist did return, Andres Link, a professor in Bogota who now helps Cesar organise, catalogue and display his collection. One fossil in particular caught his attention, altering the understanding of the region's history. This is the first terror bird fossil found in the tropics. Until now, we had records in Argentina and North America, but no proof they lived here. It also helps us understand the ecosystems of 13 million years ago. And praise like this ancient giant sloth which Link and Perdomo are excavating. Last year, UNESCO designated this part of the Tatacoa as a World Geological Heritage Site for its extraordinary fossil richness. But Professor Link warns that without serious investments, Cesar's work could be at risk. There is little support for locals and researchers. We need backing from government, universities and the private sector. Not just those seeking academic gain, but those committed to preserving this globally significant paleontological site. For now, its future rests on the shoulders of passionate individuals like Cesar, who explains why he named this museum La Tormenta, or The Storm. Fossil hunting is a torment for me. I want to find everything, unearth it all, study it and keep it here. Building this museum was also a torment. Fossils are my family, my children. A lifelong connection to this land and its secrets. Alessandro Rampietti, Algecira, Tatacoa Desert.

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