Post by L Roebuck on Apr 12, 2007 11:27:19 GMT -5
Treasure trove of fossils found in Kendall County cave
Remnants from a cave embedded in a limestone quarry southwest of Chicago have yielded a fossil trove that may influence the known history of north central Illinois some 310 million years ago.
Initial research findings were presented April 12 by University of Illinois at Chicago earth and environmental sciences professor Roy Plotnick at a regional meeting of the Geological Society of America in Lawrence, Kan.
Plotnick's talk presents the broad strokes about what's in the cave and the research opportunities it affords. His research colleagues include Fabien Kenig, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences at UIC and Andrew Scott, professor of palaeobotany and coal geology at Royal Holloway University of London.
"What's really valuable about the cave is the level of preservation of the material," said Kenig. "We see charcoal that preserves biological features at the cellular level. Charcoal is an indication of fire burning ancient trees. The cave also beautifully preserved molecular indicators of these fires."
Full Article
Remnants from a cave embedded in a limestone quarry southwest of Chicago have yielded a fossil trove that may influence the known history of north central Illinois some 310 million years ago.
Initial research findings were presented April 12 by University of Illinois at Chicago earth and environmental sciences professor Roy Plotnick at a regional meeting of the Geological Society of America in Lawrence, Kan.
Plotnick's talk presents the broad strokes about what's in the cave and the research opportunities it affords. His research colleagues include Fabien Kenig, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences at UIC and Andrew Scott, professor of palaeobotany and coal geology at Royal Holloway University of London.
"What's really valuable about the cave is the level of preservation of the material," said Kenig. "We see charcoal that preserves biological features at the cellular level. Charcoal is an indication of fire burning ancient trees. The cave also beautifully preserved molecular indicators of these fires."
Full Article
