He was interested in natural sciences, met the main scientific figures and was taught by the great scientist Hermann Burmeister (1807–92).

[3] In March 1878 Lista landed at Punta Arenas in the Strait of Magellan, where he made a careful examination of the mines.

In mid-August[a] he set off for the north, passed the Santa Cruz valley and explored the Chico River, the main object of the expedition.

[1] In a report to President Miguel Juárez Celman in 1886 Lista expressed his disgust that the Selk'nam people (Ona) of Tierra del Fuego would not let him take "anthropometric measures" of their heads.

[6] In 1887 he explored the east coast of the island from Cape San Sebastián to Bahía Thetis accompanied by a chaplain and 25 soldiers.

[3] In the preface to his book Viaje al país de los Onas Lista takes responsibility for an encounter in which 26 Indians armed with bows and arrows were shot dead.

[3] At this time Ramón Lista's wife and two young daughters lived at his home in Temperley, Buenos Aires while Lista alternated between his governor's house in Río Gallegos and his Tehuelche common-law wife Koila in an encampment at Paso del Roble, forty leagues away.

[7] Heartbroken, she locked herself in the house for months on end, before leaving her two daughters in the care of her mother and committing suicide with a revolver on 10 February 1891.

[9] After returning to Buenos Aires Lista founded the Argentine Geographical Society, which published a magazine on geography and other sciences.

Lista continued exploration of Patagonia to the Strait of Magellan, the Gran Chaco and the mission territories in preparation for them to be incorporated in Argentina.

"[6] Ramón Lista was killed on 23 November 1897 at Miraflores, Orán, Salta in mysterious circumstances, possibly by Toba indigenous people,[10] during an exploration of the Pilcomayo River.