This is the 3668th most frequent Spanish word.
obtuvieron
"Obtuvieron" means "they obtained" or "they got."
Here, 'obtuvieron' refers to the act of acquiring or gaining something through effort, represented by the results on the exam.
Ellos obtuvieron buenos resultados en el examen.
They obtained good results on the exam.
In this sentence, 'obtuvieron' indicates the act of finding or acquiring physical items, specified as mineral samples during the expedition.
Durante la expedición, los exploradores obtuvieron nuevas muestras de minerales.
During the expedition, the explorers obtained new mineral samples.
The word 'obtuvieron' here expresses gaining approval or consent, shown by the permission required to start the project.