For decades, scientists have wanted to dive into a giant blue hole located on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Called the Sawmill Sink, it contains well-preserved fossils that could reveal how the Earth has changed since the Ice Age.After decades of remote studies, researchers finally entered the site in 2005. Since then, thousands of bones have been recovered and began to undergo various analyses. However, a storm interrupted the trip.
Hurricane Dorian confuses scientists In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian passed through the Bahamas and caused great destruction. Dozens of people died in what was one of the strongest events ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The wind was so strong that it did not allow the scientists to continue their work. Additionally, he destroyed a museum that opened a year earlier and destroyed the fossils collected at the Sawmill Sink. Since then, part of the island's infrastructure has been rebuilt. However, there are no plans to reopen the museum, nor to carry out a project that would transform the cave into a national park. The information is from ScienceAlert. Bird fossils found at Sawmill Sunken (Image: Florida Museum) Read more
DNA Test Reveals Secrets of Ice Age Baby Ice Age Rhino Mummy Found Intact in Russia Research Reveals Possible Cause of Mammoth Extinction: Fossils Reveal Area's Past Despite major backlash, science decides to improve understanding of the area. Studies show that, thousands of years ago, the island was ten times larger and would have shrunk with the rise in sea levels after the last Ice Age.
Scientists explain that Grande Abaco Island is limestone. When it flows, groundwater flows through nearby rock, causing holes to collapse and form blue holes, like Pia da Serraria. The system is 45 meters long and has a large network of underground passages that stretch for kilometers. This complex system is reserved based on local conditions.
Large turtles live on the island (Photo: Florida Museum). This way, it is possible to find turtle and crocodile bones. These animals no longer live on the island, so their bones provide information about what the area was like in the past. When sea levels fell thousands of years ago, the Sawmill Sink boasted great biodiversity.
Most of these animals existed 15 thousand years ago. Examining the fossils, scientists were able to identify 17 species of birds and destroyed them.