Paleontologist Matt Forir expected to find another 50-foot, trash-filled pit when he went to investigate a cave unearthed by construction workers in southwest Missouri. He could not have been more wrong. The dynamite that blasted into limestone for a new road in Greene County unveiled proof that 1,400-pound short-faced bears roamed the Ozarks during the Ice Age, and they struggled with arthritis and gout. Forir and other researchers are also investigating the possibility that herds of peccary — piglike animals — sought shelter in caves thousands of years ago, as opposed to being dragged in by predators for food. “Everywhere you look in here, you find something significant,” said Forir, president of Missouri Speleological Survey. Icicle-shaped stalactites, flowstone and soda straws created from countless drops of mineral-laden water might even prove useful for scientists. “There’s no question this cave is a picture to the past,” said Kenneth C. Thomson, Southwest Missouri State geology professor and cave expert.Missouri has more than 5,700 registered caves. But researchers think this one, formally known as Riverbluff Cave, holds infinite research possibilities. They believe there might be enough evidence of Ice Age animals inside to give it national prominence. The scientists are examining animal tracks and dung.“It certainly indicates that maybe they were using these caves in a social sense, where herds of them were going in to get out of bad weather,” said Greg McDonald, a peccary expert and paleontological project coordinator for National Park Service in Denver.
View: Full Article | Source: msnbc.com
Thank you for this article starlyte.