Patagonian sheep farming boom Patagonian sheep farming boom In late 19th and early 20th centuries, sheep farming expanded across the Patagonian grasslands making the southern regions of Argentina and Chile one of the world's foremost sheep farming areas. The sheep farming boom attracted thousands of immigrants from Chiloé and Europe to southern Patagonia. Early sheep farming in Patagonia was oriented towards wool production but changed over time with the development of industrial refrigerators towards meat export. Besides altering the demographic and economic outlook of Southern Patagonia the sheep farming boom also changed the steppe ecosystem. Sheep farming in Patagonia was carried out in a
Patagonian opossum of La Pampa and Choele Choel (northern Rio Negro Province). It is suggested that the Patagonian opossum may have emerged from the same ancestral group as "Marmosa". They resemble each other closely. In the winter both types have similarly thickening at the base of the tails, where fat accumulates. Yet they do not share all aspects of their lifestyle; Patagonian opossums have a specialized way to gather and consume food, which is made possible by the shortening of their skull and jaws. The shortening occurs in the premolar region; this gives the Patagonian opossum increased biting power. The general appearance