When they reached Brazil Darwin was delighted by the tropical forest,[37] but detested the sight of slavery.[38] McCormick left the ship at this point, feeling that Darwin had supplanted him as naturalist.[31]
The survey continued to the south in Patagonia. They stopped at Bahía Blanca, and in cliffs near Punta Alta Darwin made a major find of fossil bones of huge extinct mammals beside modern seashells, indicating recent extinction with no signs of change in climate or catastrophe. He identified the little-known Megatherium by a tooth and its association with bony armour which had at first seemed to him like a giant version of the armour on local armadillos. The finds brought great interest when they reached England.[39][40]
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