Researchers Discover Ancient Bones In Rare Wyoming Cave
Investigators digging a rare Wyoming cave have reportedly discovered the bones of animals that could date back up to 100,000 years, the researchers with the Natural Trap Cave recently reported.
Scientists working with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management spent this past week rappelling into Natural Trap Cave, a rare natural geographical formation located in the state's Bighorn Canyon. The cave's only entrance is a well-hidden hole on its top that, researchers believed, has caused many animals over centuries to fall to their death 80 feet into the cave's depths.
Researchers have uncovered multiple bone specimens from the cave in recent days, and will send their finds to universities around the U.S. for further analysis. Brent Breithaupt, a paleontologist with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, told the Associated Press that while researchers are excited about their finds, they still have a lot of work to do.
"They're very excited about the potential for what they've found. The analysis, yet, is still very preliminary," Breithaupt, who joined scientists in their excavation of the site, told the AP. "It's an incredible site. It definitely is one of the most significant sites that BLM manages and it will provide very, very important information."
According to the Smithsonian website, some of the treasures uncovered from the Natural Trap Cave could be up to 100,000 years old, dating back to the Ice Age. The pit was closed for the past four decades until researchers were able to begin excavating it two weeks ago.
The National Park Service reports that animal remains found during previous excavations in the 1970's recovered a mammoth, short-faced bear, collared lemming, lion, cheetah and camel.
