The Pipe Creek Sinkhole preserves an ancient wetland. It was created by the collapse of a limestone cave in a Silurianreef formation. That left a steep-sided depression about 75 meters (246 ft) long, 50 meters (164 ft) wide and 11 meters (36 ft) deep. When water collected in the depression, it became the habitat of the plants and animals whose remains were preserved there when the sinkhole was buried by glacialoutwash and till during the Pleistocene Epoch, two million to 11,000 years ago.
While the ecology of the Pliocene in North America is well-known from fossil discoveries in other places, notably coastal sites, the Pleistocene glaciers destroyed or scattered most of the fossil remains in the continent's interior. The Pipe Creek Sinkhole, however, was buried by the glaciers and the debris they left, making it the only known Pliocene example in the central part of the eastern half of the continent.
Backed by a grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers from the Indiana State Museum and several universities substantially completed field work at the sinkhole in the summer of 2004, but there was about one weeklong dig a year from 2005 to 2011.[2] What probably was the last work at the site took place in 2014, with scientists and volunteers screening soil previously removed from the sinkhole.
^For a general description of the transport and deposition of glacial sediments, see Boggs, Sam Jr. (2006). Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4th ed.)(PDF). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 276–288. ISBN0-13-154728-3. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
^Grant Troutman, "Ancient Bones Still Thrill," The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana), July 1, 2011, 1A, col. 1.
Farlow, James O. and Anne Argast, Preservation of Fossil Bone from the Pipe Creek Sinkhole (Late Neogene, Grant County, Indiana U.S.A.), Journal of the Paleontological Society of Korea, 22(1):51-75, 2006.
Farlow, James O. et al., New Vertebrate Fossils from the Pipe Creek Sinkhole (Late Hemphillian, Grant County, Indiana) Paper No. 7-1, delivered at Geological Society of America, North-Central Section - 38th Annual Meeting (April 1–2, 2004), St. Louis, Missouri.
Farlow, James O. et al., The Pipe Creek Sinkhole Biota, a Diverse Late Tertiary Continental Fossil Assemblage from Grant County, Indiana. American Midland Naturalist, 145:367-378.
Kash, Steve, Amazing Fossils: Grant County Discovery Reveals Life from 3-6 million years ago, Outdoor Indiana, March/April 1999.
Kash, Steve, Dr. Jack Sunderman Looks at Ancient River, Outdoor Indiana, November/December 2001.
Martin, Robert A., H. Thomas Goodwin and James O. Farlow, Late Neogene (Late Hemphillian) Rodents from the Pipe Creek Sinkhole, Grant County, Indiana. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22(1):137-151, March 2002.
Sheets, Hope A., and James O. Farlow, Size-Frequency Distribution of Leopard Frogs (rana pipiens complex) from the Late Tertiary Pipe Creek Sinkhole, Grant County, Indiana, Paper no. 16-11 presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the North-Central Section, Geological Society of America, 24–25 March 2003, Kansas City, Missouri.
Simo, J.A., and Patrick J. Lehmann, Diagenetic History of Pipe Creek Jr. Reef, Silurian, North Central Indiana, U.S.A., Journal of Sedimentary Research, 70(4):937, July 2000.
Sunderman, Jack A., Surprises in a Sinkhole, ACRES Quarterly, 42(3), Autumn 2003, published by ACRES Land Trust, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
External linksedit
The Pipe Creek Sinkhole
The Paleobiology Database: Taxonomic list for Pipe Creek Jr. Reef, Pipe Creek Jr. quarry, Grant County, Indiana: Silurian, Indiana
Large-scale topographic map from TopoQuest
Bing Maps: The Pipe Creek Sinkhole
Farlow, James O. et al. (eds.), Geology of the Late Neogene Pipe Creek Sinkhole (Grant County, Indiana), Indiana Geological Survey Special Report 69, January 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
Switek, Brian (17 August 2010). "Fossil feces from an Indiana sinkhole preserve traces of a meat-eater's meal". WIRED Science Blogs. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
June 21, 2011, Scientist sift through Pipe Creek Jr. sink hole one more time.
pipe, creek, sinkhole, near, swayzee, grant, county, indiana, most, important, paleontological, sites, interior, eastern, half, north, america, preserved, because, buried, glacial, till, uncovered, 1996, workers, pipe, creek, junior, limestone, quarry, sinkhol. The Pipe Creek Sinkhole near Swayzee in Grant County Indiana is one of the most important paleontological sites in the interior of the eastern half of North America It is preserved because it was buried by glacial till 1 Uncovered in 1996 by workers at the Pipe Creek Junior limestone quarry the sinkhole has yielded a diverse array of fossils from the Pliocene epoch dating back five million years Discoveries have been made there of the remains of camelids bears beavers frogs snakes turtles and several previously unknown species of rodents Two fish taxa bullhead Ameiurus and sunfish Centrarchidae have also been found there Contents 1 Origin and importance 2 The sinkhole s ecology 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksOrigin and importance editThe Pipe Creek Sinkhole preserves an ancient wetland It was created by the collapse of a limestone cave in a Silurian reef formation That left a steep sided depression about 75 meters 246 ft long 50 meters 164 ft wide and 11 meters 36 ft deep When water collected in the depression it became the habitat of the plants and animals whose remains were preserved there when the sinkhole was buried by glacial outwash and till during the Pleistocene Epoch two million to 11 000 years ago While the ecology of the Pliocene in North America is well known from fossil discoveries in other places notably coastal sites the Pleistocene glaciers destroyed or scattered most of the fossil remains in the continent s interior The Pipe Creek Sinkhole however was buried by the glaciers and the debris they left making it the only known Pliocene example in the central part of the eastern half of the continent The sinkhole s ecology editThe ancient wetland was home to a large and dense plant and animal population that includes both extinct and extant forms The climate was warm and temperate but somewhat dry possibly supporting a grassland forest transitional zone The preserved vertebrate fauna are dominated by aquatic species particularly leopard frogs which are still common throughout the United States Mammalian finds include an early rhinoceros Teleoceras possibly from the Miocene epoch canids peccaries and short faced bear Backed by a grant from the National Science Foundation researchers from the Indiana State Museum and several universities substantially completed field work at the sinkhole in the summer of 2004 but there was about one weeklong dig a year from 2005 to 2011 2 What probably was the last work at the site took place in 2014 with scientists and volunteers screening soil previously removed from the sinkhole See also editAshfall Fossil Beds Gray Fossil Site List of fossil sites with link directory List of sinkholes of the United States nbsp Indiana portalReferences edit For a general description of the transport and deposition of glacial sediments see Boggs Sam Jr 2006 Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 4th ed PDF Upper Saddle River NJ Pearson Prentice Hall pp 276 288 ISBN 0 13 154728 3 Retrieved October 20 2014 Grant Troutman Ancient Bones Still Thrill The News Sentinel Fort Wayne Indiana July 1 2011 1A col 1 Farlow James O and Anne Argast Preservation of Fossil Bone from the Pipe Creek Sinkhole Late Neogene Grant County Indiana U S A Journal of the Paleontological Society of Korea 22 1 51 75 2006 Farlow James O et al New Vertebrate Fossils from the Pipe Creek Sinkhole Late Hemphillian Grant County Indiana Paper No 7 1 delivered at Geological Society of America North Central Section 38th Annual Meeting April 1 2 2004 St Louis Missouri Farlow James O et al The Pipe Creek Sinkhole Biota a Diverse Late Tertiary Continental Fossil Assemblage from Grant County Indiana American Midland Naturalist 145 367 378 Kash Steve Amazing Fossils Grant County Discovery Reveals Life from 3 6 million years ago Outdoor Indiana March April 1999 Kash Steve Dr Jack Sunderman Looks at Ancient River Outdoor Indiana November December 2001 Martin Robert A H Thomas Goodwin and James O Farlow Late Neogene Late Hemphillian Rodents from the Pipe Creek Sinkhole Grant County Indiana Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22 1 137 151 March 2002 Sheets Hope A and James O Farlow Size Frequency Distribution of Leopard Frogs rana pipiens complex from the Late Tertiary Pipe Creek Sinkhole Grant County Indiana Paper no 16 11 presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the North Central Section Geological Society of America 24 25 March 2003 Kansas City Missouri Simo J A and Patrick J Lehmann Diagenetic History of Pipe Creek Jr Reef Silurian North Central Indiana U S A Journal of Sedimentary Research 70 4 937 July 2000 Sunderman Jack A Surprises in a Sinkhole ACRES Quarterly 42 3 Autumn 2003 published by ACRES Land Trust Fort Wayne Indiana External links editThe Pipe Creek Sinkhole Hillsdale College Pipe Creek Sinkhole Project Hillsdale College Animals of the Pipe Creek Sinkhole The Paleobiology Database Taxonomic list for Pipe Creek Jr Reef Pipe Creek Jr quarry Grant County Indiana Silurian Indiana Large scale topographic map from TopoQuest Bing Maps The Pipe Creek Sinkhole Farlow James O et al eds Geology of the Late Neogene Pipe Creek Sinkhole Grant County Indiana Indiana Geological Survey Special Report 69 January 2010 Retrieved 21 October 2014 Switek Brian 17 August 2010 Fossil feces from an Indiana sinkhole preserve traces of a meat eater s meal WIRED Science Blogs Retrieved 15 February 2013 June 21 2011 Scientist sift through Pipe Creek Jr sink hole one more time 40 27 39 N 85 47 41 W 40 46081 N 85 79462 W 40 46081 85 79462 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pipe Creek Sinkhole amp oldid 1183344189, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
