Exploring the nations paving the way for the future of AI
Sinkholes are basically large holes or depressions in the ground that appear when the land surface collapses into cavities below. They are usually formed through erosion caused by groundwater. Sometimes it can take thousands of years of erosion before they finally collapse. As such, some sinkholes are really special places where lots of amazing discoveries have been made—both on dry land and underwater.
Click through to find out what surprising discoveries were made in sinkholes.
We've heard of cars falling into sinkholes, but finding such a classic in one is quite something. The model was produced between 1952 and 1954, making it quite a rare find.
The car was discovered in the spring of 2020 when a sinkhole opened in the Hideaway Hills neighborhood in Black Hawk, South Dakota. But how did the car get there?
It turns out, the sinkhole formed where an old gypsum mine used to be. The mine was last used about a hundred years ago, so while no one really knows what happened, it's possible that the car ended up there after being washed away by heavy rains.
Mastodon bones dating back approximately 14,550 years were found in a sinkhole in Florida in 2015. This sounds impressive on its own, but what's more impressive about this discovery is that the bones showed signs that they were butchered by humans.
It was believed that humans first arrived in the Americas some 13,000 years ago. This discovery suggests that humans were actually in the area much earlier than that.
Han Son Doong, located in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam, is the world's largest natural cave. It was only discovered in 1990, and proper explorations didn't take place until 2009.
The cave was accidentally found when a man spotted a hole in the ground while looking for shelter from the rain. Many years later, the sinkhole was explored and eventually became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Skeletal remains dating back 13,000 years were found in an underwater sinkhole called the Chan Hol cave. The cave is located on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
What is even more fascinating is that scientists discovered a skull shape that differs from the known Paleoindians that lived in the region at that time, suggesting that different human species co-existed in the same place at the same time.
The Great Blue Hole, located off the coast of Belize, is known as a scuba diving paradise, but it's actually an underwater sinkhole.
Many years ago it was a dry cave, so you'll still find typical geological formations you'd find in any other cave like stalactites and stalagmites.
In 2018, scientists also discovered some mysterious conch tracks in the Great Blue Hole. It turns out that sea snails that fell into the hole tried to climb up from the oxygen-deprived depths and died while doing so, leaving a trail of dead conches.
Despite all its beauty, the Great Blue Hole is also home to a very human problem: trash. British entrepreneur Richard Branson, who made a trip to the sinkhole back in 2019, reported finding plastic bottles at the bottom.
In 2016, mastodon bones were found at the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee. But what's so special about these, then?
Well, they belong to a species that was not known to live in North America at the time. So yes, that's pretty special.
Evidence of numerous extinct animal species was found at the Sawmill Sink sinkhole on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas.
While now the island is home to many species, including the Cuban crocodile, the arrival of humans about 1,000 years ago did leave its mark on the local fauna.
Lake Huron is one of North America's famous Great Lakes. Most people miss this, but there is actually a sinkhole underneath the surface: the Middle Island Sinkhole.
Low oxygen levels and high concentrations of sulfates make it a harsh environment for species to thrive, though there are a few exceptions. These include single-celled microorganisms such as bacteria and archaea.
Evidence of a possible extinct population of archaic humans was found in a sinkhole near the city of Ramla in Israel.
The Nesher Ramla Homo group is an estimated 140,000 to 120,000 years old. It's believed that they lived alongside Neanderthals in the region.
The Well of Barhout (aka the Well of Hell), can be found in the al-Mahra province in Yemen near the border with Oman. The bottom is 367 feet (112 meters) below the surface of the desert.
The sinkhole wasn't explored until 2021. So what did explorers find in it? Well, quite a few dead animals (that most likely fell into the hole), stalactites, cave pearls, and even water.
They also found live animals such as frogs and snakes. Lots of snakes!
In May 2008, a farmer found that a sinkhole had formed on his land near the city of Rotorua in New Zealand. It turns out, this happened after heavy rains in the area.
But what's so special about this particular sinkhole? Well, it was actually the summit crater of a volcano that erupted about 60,000 years ago!
Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is known for its cenotes, or water-filled sinkholes. These places were very important in the ancient Mayan culture.
In 2021, an ancient Mayan canoe was found in one of these cenotes. The artifact is believed to date back to between 830 and 950 CE.
Sources: (Grunge) (Inverse)
Fossils and other unbelievable things found in sinkholes
From cars to extinct human species
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Sinkholes are basically large holes or depressions in the ground that appear when the land surface collapses into cavities below. They are usually formed through erosion caused by groundwater. Sometimes it can take thousands of years of erosion before they finally collapse. As such, some sinkholes are really special places where lots of amazing discoveries have been made—both on dry land and underwater.
Click through to find out what surprising discoveries were made in sinkholes.