- Title: Crimean underground explorers discover new caves, fossil remains
- Date: 17th February 2020
- Summary: SIMFEROPOL REGION, CRIMEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 2020) (REUTERS) FLASHLIGHTS REFLECTING OFF CAVE WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CAVER, ALEXEI AKIMOV, SAYING: "There are lots of bones in this cave, which provide lots of research material for palaeontologists, some of the bones are located here, we can see them, and there are also quite a lot around the entire cave." VARIOUS OF BONES (NOT FOSSIL REMAINS) ON CAVE FLOOR WATER TRICKLING DOWN CAVE WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CAVER, ALEXEI AKIMOV, SAYING: "These deposits (rock formations) began to form as soon as the water drained from the cave. When water flows here it erodes the cave and there are no deposits. So, the rough age of these deposits is several million years." WATER SEEPING THROUGH CAVE CEILING WATER DRIPPING INTO PUDDLE ON FLOOR FLASHLIGHT ILLUMINATING STALACTITES ON CEILING SEVASTOPOL REGION, CRIMEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 2020) (REUTERS) CAVER SQUEEZING THROUGH SMALL GAP CAVER SERGEI KEBET CRAWLING OUT OF CAVE SHOOTS POKING THROUGH FOLIAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CAVER, SERGEI KEBET, SAYING: "Every time you go into the cave and realise that you are surrounded by a world that was created over tens of millions of years, it takes your breath away. When you realise that this 2-metre (6.6 foot) stalactite, when humanity started using sticks - this stalactite was 1.5 metres (4.9 feet). So, during the time humanity has been around, for 40,000 years, this stalactite has only grown half a metre (1.6 feet)." SIMFEROPOL REGION, CRIMEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LANDSCAPE WITH MOUNTAINS IN BACKGROUND V. I. VERNADSKY CRIMEAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY SIGN READING (Russian): "V. I. VERNADSKY CRIMEAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY. TAURIC ACADEMY" CRIMEAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY PALEONTOLOGIST DMITRY STARTSEV WALKING ALONG SPECIMEN CABINET FOSSILISED SEA URCHINS IN CABINET FOSSILS IN CABINET FOSSILISED SEA URCHIN (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CRIMEAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY PALEONTOLOGIST, DMITRY STARTSEV, SAYING: "These petrified fossils are typical examples of Mesozoic fauna of the Jurassic period. They can be found in various spots in the Main Ridge of the Crimean Mountains." MODEL DINOSAUR HANGING FROM CEILING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CRIMEAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY PALEONTOLOGIST, DMITRY STARTSEV, SAYING: "It's unlikely that we would be lucky enough to find dinosaurs because they are land dwellers. Coral reefs existed in maritime conditions, so if the current brought a dinosaur corpse, there could be a chance (of discovering one). However, in our Jurrasic sediments, there has not been a single discovery of dinosaur remains. Fossilised teeth and vertebrae belonging to marine reptiles have been found." VARIOUS OF STALACTITES DANGLING FROM CAVE CEILING BAKHCHYSARAI REGION, CRIMEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 2020) (REUTERS) STALACTITE AND STALAGMITE ON CEILING AND FLOOR SIMFEROPOL REGION, CRIMEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 2020) (REUTERS) WATER DRIPPING DOWN CAVE WALLS
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2020 08:25
- Keywords: Crimea Crimean Mountains Jurassic period Mesozoic fauna amateur cavers caves fossils history scientific
- Location: SIMFEROPOL REGION, SEVASTOPOL REGION, AND BAKHCHYSARAI REGION, CRIMEA
- City: SIMFEROPOL REGION, SEVASTOPOL REGION, AND BAKHCHYSARAI REGION, CRIMEA
- Country: Crimea
- Topics: Science
- Reuters ID: LVA003C1030AH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A group of amateur caving enthusiasts have discovered caves throughout the Crimean peninsula containing the fossils of sea creatures that first swam more than 100 million years ago.
The cavers are mapping the newly-discovered underground caverns in the Sevastopol and Simferopol regions, cordoning off fossil deposits and rock formations to preserve their pristine condition, as well as ensuring they are safe for palaeontologists to conduct their research.
According to Crimean Federal University paleontologist Dmitry Startsev, the fossils are typical examples of sealife - such as sea urchins, corals, and shellfish - of the Jurassic period, which are widespread throughout the Crimean mountains, which were previously covered by the ocean.
Startsev said as well as invertebrates the fossilised remains of marine reptiles have been found in the area.
Many of the caves also feature impressive rock formations formed by water flowing through and eroding the caves.
Caver Sergei Kebet said each time he enters a cave and sees rock formations that formed over millions of years "it takes your breath away".
(Production: Dmitry Turlyun, Peter Scott) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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