The Joan Oró route: the origins of life

This route has an open itinerary that makes it possible to discover the origins of Planet Earth, from its creation through to the present day. Alternatively, put it in another way, this is an excuse to discover the figure of one of the most recognised scientists in the world: Joan Oró, through his discoveries in biochemistry and his contributions to explaining the origins of life.

Joan Oró was born in Lleida, in 1923. He was the son of a family of bakers who, on seeing the sky before dawn, began to ask questions which his degree in Chemistry, which he studied at the University of Barcelona, would later start to answer. He subsequently crossed the Atlantic and did a doctorate, at the Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas, where he undertook a scientific career dedicated to research and teaching. This then led him to collaborate with NASA and to work on the Apollo project which took man to the Moon.

The Origins of Life route is not an anthropocentric route. In reality, it provides a rough outline of the Earth’s process of creation and of how life has emerged at different times and through different species. It follows a sort of natural scientific method, based on trial and error, showing how what has reached our times has been the result of adaptation and of continually going back to start again and learn from experience.

The content of the route will take visitors to such unique and varied locations as the Montsec Astronomy Park (Àger, straddling the local districts of La Noguera and El Pallars Jussà); the Geological Open-Air Museum of the Pyrenees (Tremp, El Pallars Jussà); the Estany de Montcortès pool (El Baix Pallars-El Pallars Sobirà); the Centre for Interpreting El Montsec (Vilanova de Meià, La Noguera); the Cretaceous Observation Point (L’Alt Urgell); the Dinosphere (Coll de Nargó, L’Alt Urgell) and Conca Dellà (Isona, El Pallars Jussà) museums; and the rock art complex of the Roca dels Moros (El Cogul, Les Garrigues).

In total, there are 7 points on the route which can be visited over 2 to 3 days of travel.

An authentic trip through time! Will you come with us?

More information:

Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRI)

https://www.surtderecercapercatalunya.cat/ruta-joan_oro_origen-de-la-vida/