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southwest of the pit excavated in 1971. The pit was dug to a depth of six feet. Late
Pleistocene to recent bones from 20 species of mammals and five bird species were recovered, including a dire wolf, ancient horse, and mammoth. Ms. Rushin's Master's thesis "Interpretive and Paleontologic Values of Natural Trap Cave, BigHorn Mountains, Wyoming" (1973) addressed the interpretive, anthropologic, paleontologic, and geologic aspects of the cave. A short article regarding this research also appeared in the December, 1972 issue of the National Speleological Society News. Further excavations were conducted throughout the 1970s by the University of Missouri and the
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shaft, was discovered in a rat's nest below some talus. In 1972, Carol Jo Rushin (University of
Montana) with a grant from the National Speleological Society and a four-person team and logistical support provided by Dr. Loendorf, excavated a 10 x 10-foot wide pit at the bottom of the entrance drop,
345:, such as climate change and the advent of prehistoric man around 17,000 years ago. New insights are being sought as regards the ecology, diet and genetic diversity of megafauna that became extinct more than 10,000 years ago.
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The cave remains at temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F) and has 98% humidity which is conducive for the preservation of viable genetic material for analysis. The team has extracted samples which will be analysed by the
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147:, who initially collected some fossils, and began an excavation in 1971. Besides bones, one Native American red jasper knife was found below the entrance drop and a wooden artifact, possibly an
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410:"'I'm pretty terrified': Scientists set to excavate 'Natural trap cave' where bones of tens of thousands of animals are piled at least 10 metres deep"
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Remains of animals which have fallen into the sinkhole since the last ice age lie over 10 metres (33 ft) deep at the bottom of the pit.
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fell into the pit and died. Affectionately termed as the expedition mascot "Packy Le Pew", the pack rat has become an experiment in
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299:, explored the hole over a period of two weeks. This was the first of three annual digs planned from 2014 to 2016.
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515:"The #NTCave14 mascot, Packy le Pew, is now an experiment in taphomomy. Looking forward to seeing him next year!"
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of the
University of Adelaide who discusses fossil finds from the Natural Trap Cave in Wyoming.
127:, at an elevation of 4,560 feet (1,390 m). It is a bell-shaped pit or sinkhole within the
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The first investigation of its animal remains was initiated in 1970 by
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The team excavated 200 large bones of large animals which included
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Scientists expect to find information pertaining to causes of the
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557:"Dig this ANCIENT BONES FOUND in Wyoming CAVE BREAKING NEWS 2014"
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Australian Centre for
Ancient DNA Video of 5 August 2014 titled
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Small mammals whose remains have been found in the cave include
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469:"Cave Dig Unearths Bones of Ancient Horses, Cheetahs and Bison"
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The entrance to the pit was covered with a safety grill by the
435:"Scientists are livetweeting a major fossil dig in Wyoming"
575:"Remains Of Ancient Horses, Lions, Found In Wyo. Cave"
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781:Pleistocene paleontological sites of North America
202:. Larger mammals represented in the cave include
386:Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences
546:National Park Service page on Natural Trap Cave
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380:Larry D. Martin and B. Miles Gilbert (1978).
283:In July–August 2014, a team of scientists of
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573:Newsy Science Video of 9 August 2014 titled
786:Protected areas of Big Horn County, Wyoming
791:Bureau of Land Management areas in Wyoming
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555:BBC World News Video of 8 Aug 2014 titled
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761:Landforms of Big Horn County, Wyoming
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382:"Excavations at Natural Trap Cave"
111:information on the North American
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564:"Insights from Natural Trap Cave"
408:Associated Press (24 July 2014).
328:Australian Centre for Ancient DNA
123:The cave is located northeast of
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513:Logsdon, John (8 August 2014).
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343:Quaternary extinction event
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318:, as well as, innumerable
771:Pleistocene United States
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467:Reuters (8 August 2014).
348:During the excavation, a
280:for almost thirty years.
278:Bureau of Land Management
86:4,560 feet (1,390 m)
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766:Paleontology in Wyoming
322:of birds and reptiles.
56:Location within Wyoming
601:44.97333°N 108.19306°W
332:University of Adelaide
145:University of Missouri
297:Pleistocene megafauna
285:Des Moines University
606:44.97333; -108.19306
566:featuring Professor
154:University of Kansas
30:View inside the cave
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473:Scientific American
78:85 feet (26 m)
776:Quaternary Wyoming
498:has generic name (
172:cottontail rabbits
135:Early explorations
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659:Pleistocene Epoch
646:Quaternary Period
542:Web pages :
336:mitochondrial DNA
334:for fragments of
272:2014 explorations
230:American cheetahs
214:short-faced bears
200:collared lemmings
141:Lawrence Loendorf
129:Madison Limestone
101:Bighorn Mountains
93:Natural Trap Cave
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69:Bighorn Mountains
19:Natural Trap Cave
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756:Caves of Wyoming
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705:Greenlandian
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730:Subatlantic
604: /
592:108°11′35″W
568:Alan Cooper
198:voles, and
168:jackrabbits
750:Categories
695:Meghalayan
589:44°58′24″N
392:: 107–116.
360:References
226:wolverines
185:Peromyscus
725:Subboreal
710:Preboreal
524:11 August
478:11 August
445:11 August
419:11 August
354:taphonomy
316:gray wolf
287:, led by
242:species,
210:red foxes
208:species,
180:chipmunks
83:Elevation
720:Atlantic
488:cite web
350:pack rat
266:mammoths
245:Camelops
195:Microtus
190:woodrats
119:Location
97:pit cave
65:Location
519:Twitter
330:at the
222:martens
218:weasels
176:marmots
143:of the
105:Wyoming
99:in the
715:Boreal
679:Middle
312:horses
264:, and
188:mice,
149:atlatl
674:Early
308:bison
258:bison
239:Equus
205:Canis
164:pikas
95:is a
75:Depth
684:Late
526:2014
500:help
480:2014
447:2014
421:2014
314:and
291:, a
250:deer
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517:.
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490:}}
486:{{
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390:6
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