While many of Missouri's best-known caves are protected, there doesn't seem to be any established protocol for protecting hundreds of other caves from development, he said, a sentiment echoed elsewhere in the state.
Many times, "We look at caves as a way to entertain us, and not as a resource that we should protect," said Matt Forir, naturalist for Springfield-Greene County.
... rest is here.
Expedition Borneo
Sunday Feb, 18 on the Discover Channel...
The Discovery Channel has assembled a team of jungle specialists — scientists, climbers and wildlife filmmakers — to explore this extraordinary habitat before it's too late. Tropical timber harvesting and clearing the land for oil palm plantations are threatening this unique ecosystem.
The second team makes a daring descent into a gigantic collapsed cave. In its confines, they squeeze through terrifyingly small gaps to discover a whole new system of cave chambers never seen before by humans.
What about the fact that the original passages have been obliterated by mining...?
Maybe this fact should be cause for worry (or at the very least mentioned in the clip) just like the deflated floaties, uhhh... maybe?
It's a historic cave filled with prehistoric treasures, but paleontologists aren't the only ones amazed by it. Hawver Cave is located at the Auburn State Recreation Area off Highway 49 near the American River Canyon.
... clip is here.
The cave discovery has only fueled McBride's consuming passion for his hobby.
"Except raising my daughter, there is nothing I get more out of than caving," he said. "It's very peaceful and relaxing for me to be underground. I have a burning drive to find new passages and caves."
Since he began caving in 1994, McBride and caving colleagues have discovered more than 80 caves, and they have nearly 20 more set in their sights.
"He has a reputation for being a cavehound," Despain said. "He is persistent. It's hard work to be caving in cramped, frustrating situations. But he certainly has a nose for it."
... rest is here.
Remains in the cave date back at least 830,000 years and possibly over 1 million years. At some point at least 55,000 years ago, it was sealed by rocks and mud until a construction crew blasted a hole in one end while building a road on September 11, 2001.
The first major excavation is set for this fall after years of carefully surveying the 2,000-foot long cave and collecting remains from the cave floor or protruding from the limestone and clay walls.
... rest here.
I guess they're finally releasing the details.
A 27,000-year-old human skeleton laid out in a room decorated with ancient art was among the rare finds at a cave in western France whose subterranean art predates that of the famed Lascaux caves.
It was only the second time that a human body from the upper Paleolithic period had been found placed in a cave with decorations, the Culture Ministry said.
... full text here.
... here is the post on the original discovery.
Cave bear bones litter Europe's caves and the species is thought to have lived on the continent as far back as 300,000 years ago. They were larger than grizzly bears, but were vegetarians, as shown by their teeth, broad grinding molars. Still you likely wouldn't want to antagonize one.
... full text here.
Casey Coy and Rick Gomez are conducting research 242' down in Florida's 'Little Salt Spring'...
They hope the data they collect there will help answer basic questions about the spring: Where is the water coming from? What caused the spring to develop thousands of years ago? And why does the water act like formaldehyde, preserving organic artifacts from decomposition?
... full text via Herald Tribune.com.
Scientists from the Western Australia Museum have begun an in-depth study of skeletal remains of extinct animals found in a cave on the Nullarbor.
The scientists were first alerted to the remains by a group who stumbled across them while exploring a remote cave system in 2002.
... full text here.
The amazing finds keep happening at the Riverbluff Cave in south Springfield.
The cave, which was discovered in September 2001, connects us with creatures who scientists tell us roamed these Ozarks hills thousands of years ago.
Now, the cave is on the verge of connecting us with the future. Plans have begun crystallizing to create the Natural History Museum of the Ozarks, a multimillion-dollar endeavor.
... full text here.
Continue reading "Cave holds promise of museum, more wonders to be found" »
Recent Comments