Hyena Housecleaning: Thousands of Bones Discovered in Lava Tube Den
Explorers in the Umm Jirsan lava tube find piles of bones! (Source: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2021)
In Saudi Arabia, a collection of cattle, camel, rodent, and human bones has been discovered in a lava tube cave. The culprit? 7,000 years of hyenas. There have been investigations of the tunnel since 2007, but the sounds of snarling animals kept researchers from going too deep. To be fair, hearing growls from the pit of a bone cave is a pretty good reason to turn back.
Hyenas are known to bring scavenged bone and carcasses back to their dens in order to feed their young. Since these hyenas were living in a deep cave carved by lava, it kept the bones from significant decay, resulting in a pretty spooky sight. As messy as your room might be, it has nothing on these feliforms. Check out this article from the Smithsonian for more details!
Cool Things!
The Mystery of the Yixian Formation
Explore the Lost Cities of the Silk Road
Antediluvian: A Nuanced look at the Paleoart of Old
Specimen Deep Dives
Gondwana: When the Earth Was One
Pangaea: the Prehistoric Supercontinent
The Tethys Ocean: A Lost Prehistoric Sea
Long Form Articles
Amelia Earhart & The Women Who Soared
How the Dinosaurs Got their Feathers
