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Interpretive and Paleontologic Values of Natural Trap Cave Bighorn Mountains Wyoming University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1973 Interpretive and paleontologic values of Natural Trap Cave Bighorn Mountains Wyoming Carol Jo Rushin The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Rushin, Carol Jo, "Interpretive and paleontologic values of Natural Trap Cave Bighorn Mountains Wyoming" (1973). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 4673. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/4673 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INTERPRETIVE AND PALEONTOLOGIC VALUES OF NATURAL TRAP CAVE, BIGHORN MOUNTAINS, WYOMING By Carol Jo Rushin B.A., Radford College, 1969 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Resource Conservation UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1973 Approved by: /Chairman, B6ard of Examiners Date UMI Number: EP40137 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. * Dissertation RjbSishing UMI EP40137 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuestr\ /"-v ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the many people who have aided me in this work. Dr. Robert Fields, William Melton, John Homer, and Stewart Monroe aided in bone identification. Sylvia Spindel provided helpful guidance in pollen analysis. I wish to thank the members of my committee, Dr. James H, Lowe, Chairman (Forestry), Dr. James A. Peterson (Geology), Dr. Sidney S. Frissell (Forestry), and Dr. Lawrence L. Loendorf (Anthropology, University of North Dakota), for the time and effort they have spent in my behalf. Appreciation is also extended to Mrs. Jane Loendorf who miraculously packed meals for the field a week at a time. A special word of thanks goes to Prof. Newell R. Campbell (Yakima Valley College, Washington), whose unpublished manuscript (1972) was used extensively. I would also like to thank the assistants provided by Dr. Loendorf who labored in the mud and dirt of the cave area at various times throughout the summer, especially Barry W. Fuller, William B. Vincent, James V. Miller, and "Scrap Iron" (Lawrence Flatlip). Without their help, the study would not have been possible. My appreciation is extended to William B. Vincent for drawing the cave map ii i i i and for numerous helpful suggestions. Grateful acknowledgement is made to Dr. Philip Wright for allowing the use of the University of Montana mammalogy and ornithology collections for comparative "bone studies. I would like to extend my appreciation to the National Speleological Society, the University of Montana Forestry School, and Dr. L. L. Loendorf for contributing financial support. Finally, I would like to thank my parents in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Phyllis Marsh, and Dr. Richard L. Konizeski for much help and moral support. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................. ii LIST OF T A B L E S .................................... vii LIST OF F I G U R E S .................................... viii LIST OF PLATES.................................... ix Chapter I. INTRODUCTION .............................. 1 PREVIOUS W O R K ........................... 3 DESCRIPTION OF BIGHORN AREA ............. 4 Surface Features and Relief ............ 4 Climate .............................. 6 Vegetation ............................ 6 F a u n a ................................ 7 Industry .............................. 7 DESCRIPTION OF S I T E ..................... 7 Location .............................. 7 Physical Features ..................... 8 A i r .................................. 8 Vegetation............................ 11 F a u n a ................................ 11 S o i l ................. 13 V Chapter Page II. HISTORY OF THE BIGHORN A R E A ............... 16 GEOLOGIC HISTORY ....................... 16 Time C h a r t ........................... 16 Madison Limestone ..................... 19 Amsden Deposition ..................... 19 SPELEOGENESIS ........................... 19 S o l u t i o n ............................. 21 Groundwater L e v e l ..................... 2k Secondary Features ................... 2k Cave A g e ............................. 28 HISTORY OF MAN IN THE BIGHORN AREA .... 29 Ancient Hunters ....................... 29 Middle Period ......................... 30 Late P e r i o d........................... 30 Protohistoric ......................... 31 H i s t o r i c ............................. 31 Legends.............................. 31 III. METHODS.................................. 35 ROPEWORK .............................. 35 SAFETY AND H A Z A R D S ..................... 37 EXCAVATION ............................. 38 Test P i t ............................. 38 Equipment........................ kO SOIL .................................. k2 Microfossils ......................... k2 Pollen Analysis ....................... k2 vi Chapter Page IV. PALEONTOLOGY.............................. 44 PLEISTOCENE CLIMATE ..................... 44 PALEOECOLOGY ............................ 44 INTERPRETATION OF BONE EVIDENCE ......... 45 Kind of Bone ................. 45 F a u n a .................... 45 ANIMALS REPRESENTED ..................... 48 EXTINCTIONS ............................ 51 V. INTERPRETATION............................. 52 USE OF C A V E ............................ 53 Degree of U s e ......................... 53 Adverse Uses ..................... 58 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................... 59 Policy................................ 59 Public Information and Education........ 60 Erection of Physical Facilities and Barriers ........................... 62 Surveillance ....... ............. 63 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION..................... 65 REFERENCES........................................ 68 APPENDIXES........................................ 71 A. Level S h eets................................ 71 B. Site Report and Cave M a p ..................... 87 C. Outline of a Model Interpretive Plan for Caves of the BigHom A r e a ................. 90 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Geologic Time Chart of the BigHorn Mountain A r e a ........................ 16 2. Stratigraphic Column of BigHorn Area .... 20 3. Animals Represented in 1972 Test Pit Excavation Levels ....................... ^9 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Caves of BigHorn and Pryor Mountains ........ 2 2. Sketch Showing the Essential Features of the Breakout D o m e ....................... 10 3. Natural Trap M a p ........................... 89 Flow of Subsurface Water in Limestone .... 92 5. Cave Food W e b ............................. 9^ viii LIST OF PLATES Plate Page I. General Topography of BigHorn A r e a ......... 5 II. View of Cave Entrance and Part of Entrance R o o m ............................ 9 III. Sunlight in the Cave Is Available Only in a Certain Path Which the Ray of Light Makes as It Travels across the Entrance R o o m .................................... 12 IV. Speleothems in Natural Trap Cave, Eastern Passage ......................... 25 V. Large Piece of Breakdown Located In Eastern Section of Entrance Room. Note Sunlight Reflection off Cave Wall . 27 VI. Indian Pictographs on Cave Wall in BigHorn A r e a ............................ 32 VII. Entrance into the Cave Is Gained by Rappelling.............................. 36 VIII. Test Pit. Note Large Talus in Pit and Rocky Profile ........................... 39 IX. Mammoth Rib in Southwest Comer of Test P i t .................................... 41 X. Montana Outdoor Leadership School Trainee Testing His Vertical Skills ............. 56 XI. Federal Warning Sign and Entrance to Natural Trap C a v e ....................... 64 ix Chapter I INTRODUCTION The government is responsible for the administration of many caves known to be present on federally managed land in Montana and adjacent areas (Fig. 1). Little is known about most of these caves, their history, or how to manage them effectively. The purpose of this study is to point out the importance of one such cave, the Natural Trap Cave, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is a natural faunal pitfall that is becoming more and more frequented by sport cavers from all over the nation. Effective multiple use management of this unusual cave would provide for recreational, scientific, and aesthetic interests. The major field activity of this study was to run a test pit to determine if further excavation would be feasible. Vertebrate fossils from Wyoming caves are virtually unknown, and the Pleistocene and early Holocene bones occurring in the Natural Trap Cave add to our knowledge of past local fauna
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