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Natural Trap Cave: Ice Age bones, modern science and a lifeline to Lovell

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  Published in Science and Technology on Sunday, September 28th 2025 at 13:18 GMT by Wyoming News
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Ice‑Age Bones, Modern Science, and a Lifeline for Lovell

A recently opened natural trap cave on the western flank of the Bighorn Mountains has turned the quiet Wyoming town of Lovell into a hotspot for paleontological research and a boost for the local economy. The cavern, which was only discovered in the past few years by a local hunter, has yielded a cache of Pleistocene‑era animal bones that are proving to be an invaluable window into life on the American West during the last glacial period. The story, reported by The Wyoming News on June 12, 2024, weaves together fieldwork, cutting‑edge science, and the hopes of a community that sees the discovery as a new lifeline.

The Cave and Its Unlikely Treasure

The cave lies on a steep limestone outcrop just south of the town’s main street, a place locals have long referred to as “The Pit.” The name is a nod to its geometry: a vertical shaft that plunges into a horizontal chamber, surrounded by an extensive network of rock‑carved passages. The chamber is filled with layers of compacted sediment, and it is there that the bones were found, embedded in a fine matrix of fine silt and quartz sand. When the first dig team from the University of Wyoming’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences—led by Professor Melissa C. Lyman—poured away the sediment, they uncovered dozens of fossilized bones, including a partially complete skull of an extinct horse, a fragment of a bison’s shoulder blade, and several antlers that would have belonged to elk and deer.

“Initially we thought it was a modern scavenging site,” says Lyman, whose research focuses on Pleistocene megafauna. “But once we started the initial radiocarbon dating, we were stunned to find dates ranging from roughly 12,000 to 18,000 years before present. That places these animals squarely in the late Ice Age.”

Modern Science Uncovers Ancient Lives

The fossils are only the beginning. Once the bones were carefully extracted, they were sent to a laboratory in Colorado where advanced techniques were employed to unlock their secrets. The team used micro‑computed tomography (micro‑CT) scans to reconstruct the skeletal structure of the animals without damaging the remains. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in the bone collagen helped determine the animals’ diets, revealing that they were primarily grazers on the open grasslands that once blanketed the region.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the research was the attempt to recover ancient DNA. Although the harsh environment of the cave has preserved the bones well, the extreme temperatures and high mineral content of the sediment have also made DNA extraction challenging. Nevertheless, the team successfully extracted fragments of mitochondrial DNA from the bison and horse skeletons, which were then compared to modern specimens. “We found a clear genetic link to the ancestral populations of today’s plains bison, suggesting that this area was a crucial corridor for the migration of these species during the glacial retreats,” says Lyman.

The research is part of a larger collaborative effort with the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, which aim to map the distribution of Pleistocene fauna across the North American plains. According to the National Park Service’s “Paleontological Resources of the U.S.” database, this is the first time a natural trap cave in this region has produced such a diverse and well-preserved assemblage.

A Lifeline for Lovell

Beyond the scientific importance, the discovery has implications for the town of Lovell itself. According to The Wyoming News, the local chamber of commerce has already begun to market the cave as a potential tourist attraction. “People are already showing interest from nearby cities like Casper and Laramie,” says Chamber President David McDonald. “We’re looking at a future where paleontologists and curious visitors alike will come to see the cave and learn about the Ice Age.”

The town’s economic planners see the find as a second source of income, alongside the traditional agricultural and ranching activities that have sustained Lovell for generations. “This is more than a scientific discovery,” says McDonald. “It’s an investment in the community’s future.”

The local high school has also taken a keen interest. An Earth Science teacher, Angela Ruiz, has begun a student project that will involve volunteers helping with the careful cleaning and cataloging of the bones. “It’s an amazing hands‑on experience for our students,” she says. “They’re learning about science, history, and the responsibility that comes with protecting a national treasure.”

Protecting a National Treasure

While excitement abounds, the team and local officials are also mindful of the cave’s fragility. The Wyoming Department of Natural Resources has issued a temporary protection order that prohibits unauthorized digging or photography. “We need to preserve the cave’s integrity for future generations,” says Lyman. “We’re working with the Department to set up a controlled access system that balances scientific research, tourism, and conservation.”

The team’s findings are slated for publication in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology in the coming months, with a detailed paper on the cave’s stratigraphy, the dating of the bones, and the ecological implications of the species found. The Wyoming Historical Society, which maintains a small archive of photographs and documents related to the area’s early settlers, has expressed interest in curating a small exhibit at the local museum, highlighting the cave’s significance.

Conclusion

From the hidden depths of a limestone pit to the cutting‑edge laboratories of Colorado, the discovery in Lovell’s natural trap cave has opened a new chapter in our understanding of the American West during the Ice Age. The bones of a horse, a bison, and other grazers have been unearthly witnesses to a world that vanished thousands of years ago. Yet, they also serve as a tangible link to the present—a lifeline that could bring science, education, and economic opportunity to a small Wyoming town. As The Wyoming News reports, the story of the cave is still unfolding, and the people of Lovell will be watching closely as the past and future collide in the shadows beneath the mountains.