Out of the oil comes Venezuela's 'Jurassic Park'

Venezuelan palaeontologist Ascanio Rincon showing bones of prehistoric animals found in Venezuela, including traces of an armadillo the size of a car and a crococile bigger than a bus. - AFP

UNDER the rich Venezuelan soil, paleontologists have found treasures to rival the bountiful oil: a giant armadillo the size of a Volkswagen, a crocodile bigger than a bus, and a sabre-toothed tiger.

Oil companies’ surveys of the soil have uncovered a trove of fossils dating from 14,000 to 370 million years ago.