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The discovery includes remains of giant tortoises, saber-tooth cats and other animals, offering new insight into a little-understood prehistoric environment.
WASHINGTON — A paleontologist has uncovered a trove of ancient fossils inside a cave, a discovery that could reshape what scientists understand about prehistoric ecosystems in the region.
John Moretti, a researcher with the University of Texas at Austin, found the fossils while conducting a study of a water-filled cave. The site contained remains not previously documented in that area.
Among the discoveries were fossils from a giant tortoise and a pampathere, a prehistoric relative of the armadillo that could grow to about the size of a lion. Moretti also identified fragments from saber-tooth cats, camels, mastodons and a giant ground sloth.
The fossils were found in an underground stream, where Moretti snorkeled to recover shell, armor and bone fragments.
“There were fossils everywhere, just everywhere, in a way that I haven’t seen in any other cave,” Moretti said. “It was just bones all over the floor.”
Researchers believe the fossils may date to the last interglacial period, a warm interval during the last ice age roughly 100,000 years ago. If confirmed, the find could offer a rare glimpse into a prehistoric environment that has not been well documented in that region.
“This site is showing us something different, and that’s really important,” Moretti said. “It’s a new window into the past and into a landscape, environment and animal community that we haven’t observed before.”
The findings were published in March in the journal Quaternary Research. Moretti and a collaborator made multiple trips to the cave over more than a year, collecting fossils from dozens of locations within the site.
Researchers say the fossils appear to have been deposited around the same time, based on their similar mineralization and wear, though the lack of surrounding geologic material makes precise dating difficult.
Scientists say discoveries like this highlight the importance of collaboration between researchers and landowners, particularly as many caves are located on private property.
“These connections and partnerships make possible a lot of the natural science that gets done,” Moretti said. “It takes contributions from everyone to learn about the natural world we live in and depend on.”
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