To reconstruct the phylogenetic position of the extinct cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea), we sequenced 1 kb of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from two Pleistocene cave lion DNA samples (47 and 32 ky B.P.). Phylogenetic analysis shows that the ancient sequences form a clade that is most closely related to the extant lions from Africa and Asia; at the same time, cave lions appear to be highl...

For future space research experiments in Cave A and in the BIOMAT-Cave of FAIR it is necessary to develop a raster scan system, that performs uniform large-area irradiations for all particles from protons up to uranium and a wide range of energies and intensities. Cave A is still equipped with the prototype of the raster scan system [1] which was upgraded [2] in 2001 by implementing the Factory...

Torgac Cave, located in south-central New Mexico is remarkable for at least three reasons: its extraordinary gypsum speleothems, its large bat population, and the unusually cold temperatures within the cave. It has been proposed that the presence of the bats and the speleothems may be related to the anomalous temperatures observed in the cave. This paper reports the results of a five week study...

The use of speleothems to reconstruct past climatic and environmental change through chemical proxies is becoming increasingly common. Speleothem chemistry is controlled by hydrological and atmospheric processes which vary over seasonal time scales. However, as many reconstructions using speleothem carbonate are now endeavouring to acquire information about precipitation and temperature dynamic...

Lascaux Cave (Montignac, France) contains paintings from the Upper Paleolithic period. Shortly after its discovery in 1940, the cave was seriously disturbed by major destructive interventions. In 1963, the cave was closed due to algal growth on the walls. In 2001, the ceiling, walls and sediments were colonized by the fungus Fusarium solani. Later, black stains, probably of fungal origin, appea...

Previous bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotopic studies of Late Pleistocene European cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) have shown that these bears frequently had low nitrogen isotope values, similar to those of herbivores and indicating either unusual physiology related to hibernation or a herbivorous diet. Isotopic analysis of animal bone from the Peştera cu Oase (Cave with Bones), Romania, show...

Chal Nakhjir (Nakhcheer) is a rare geological phenomenon located on the side of the road connecting Delijan to Naragh in Markazi Province, Iran. This amazing cave was discovered in 1989, and it was registered as a national monument in 2001. The cave was opened to the public in March 2010 (1). It is a limestone cave that is approximately 7 million years old. Parts of the cave, including its inte...

The majority of caves are formed within limestone rock and hence our understanding of cave microbiology comes from carbonate-buffered systems. In this paper, we describe the microbial diversity of Roraima Sur Cave (RSC), an orthoquartzite (SiO4) cave within Roraima Tepui, Venezuela. The cave contains a high level of microbial activity when compared with other cave systems, as determined by an A...

Subterranean biodiversity in Europe is spectacularly rich, with the Western Balkans being home to about 400 cave species, representing the highest number of species per area worldwide [1]. Nonetheless, cave fishes, which are the most commonly found vertebrates in underground habitats [2], have not been described from Europe so far [3]. Here, we report the first European record of a cave fish po...

Lascaux Cave (Montignac, France) contains paintings from the Upper Paleolithic period. Shortly after its discovery in 1940, the cave was seriously disturbed by major destructive interventions. In 1963, the cave was closed due to algal growth on the walls. In 2001, the ceiling, walls and sediments were colonized by the fungus Fusarium solani. Later, black stains, probably of fungal origin, appea...