A new study by NHMU uses cave data to set a baseline for understanding the effects of modern climate on mammal populations.
Scientists at the Utah Museum of Natural History delved deep into the not-so-distant past thanks to a kind tip from Utah’s caving community. In a recently published paper, mammal journalfive scientists from the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) and colleagues from Utah’s caving community have published the first study from a collaborative fieldwork effort deep inside Utah’s caves.
Uncovering history in caves: new perspectives on alpine ecosystems
A feature article in this journal reveals why caves produce such compelling research archives. Found in Boomerang Cave in northern Utah. Why do human bones provide new access to hard-to-find data from the recent past? and provide a new zoological baseline for mammalian changes in alpine communities.
“To understand the effects of climate on alpine ecosystems, we record modern mammals. seed—Mostly due to traps. But that method doesn’t tell us anything about recent mammal diversity,” said lead author Caydan O’Brien, a doctoral candidate in anthropology at the University of Utah. “Not much research has been done on past alpine ecosystems because they are difficult to reach. And even when we do, we find only old skeletons left intact. There is little chance of it happening.”
NHMU chief curator and paleoecologist Dr. Tyler Faith said: How do we record the recent past without using a time machine? ” An out-of-the-blue email from local caver and study co-author Eric Richards suggested an unexpected method of time travel. The idea was to dive hundreds of feet into a cave in Utah to find out what had fallen and when it had fallen.
A unique collaboration: cavers and scientists join forces
In early 2019, Richards emailed NHMU curator of paleontology Dr. Randy Armis, asking if he was interested in the animal bones he found on a caving expedition in Utah, and sent him a photo. Armis was quick to respond, including his colleague Dr. Tyler Faith and O’Brien, a doctoral student in Faith’s lab. The group met, hit it off, and after a few tryouts for equipment training, Faith and Illumis were diving into a cave to collect the bones of bygone animals.
“To be clear, this project would never have happened without the cavers reaching out to us, investing their time, and training with us.Eric and his wife Fumiko literally He showed us the ropes,” Faith said. “I hope people will understand that research is not just done by scientists working in museums, but can also be done in public collaboration, in this case with trained professionals. I hope (please don’t try this at home).”
After Faith received a research permit from the U.S. Forest Service in September 2019, Richards took his team to Boomerang Cave in the Bear River Mountains, where they collected specimens for laboratory analysis at the museum. O’Brien managed much of the research on which this paper is based.
In-depth analysis leads to exciting discoveries
“Identifying skeletal remains is a painstaking process, as it involves examining each bone, sorting them by size and component, and comparing them with voucher specimens from local museums,” O’Brien said. But the results are exciting.
Using radiocarbon dating, the fossils found at Boomerang Cave were shown to span the past 3,000 years, with the majority dating to the past 1,000 years or so. Comparisons of these fossils with museum records and modern mammals collected by co-authors and NHMU zoologists Dr. Eric Rickert and Dr. Katrina Derrig found that the cave faithfully represents the region’s mammal diversity. It turned out that it was reflected. Perhaps most interestingly, the fossils also reveal the presence of species unknown in the area, such as the Merriam shrew. A complete list of fossils can be found in Current. mammal journaldetails why this study is important.
“Our study highlights the value of collecting skeletons from caves as a convenient and accurate way to understand mammalian communities,” Illmis said. “Caves create comprehensive, long-term records that help us better understand how animals have changed recently.”
References: “The usefulness of alpine cave fossil assemblages in faunal research: An example from northern Utah, USA” by Kaedan O’Brien, Randall B Irmis, Joan Brenner Coltrain, Daniel Martin Dalmas, Katrina M Derieg, Thomas Evans, Eric S. Richards , Fumiko M. Richards, Eric A. Rickert, J. Tyler Faith, November 21, 2023, mammal journal.
DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad093
Faith, Armis, and O’Brien credit the continued success of this research to the curiosity and generosity of Utah’s caving community. This is another example of citizen science advancing research and developing long-term relationships between NHMU and the public.