Cave Paleontology - Caves and Karst (U.S. National Park Service) (2024)

A great diversity of fossils are preserved in National Park System caves. Cave fossils have been documented in 56 park units. Cave fossils include fossil plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and trace fossils.

There are two ways that paleontological resources can occur in caves. First, fossils can be preserved within the cave-forming rock and may become exposed through cave-forming processes. Second, fossils can accumulate within the cave and karst features, such as in cave openings, sinkholes, and tubes. Animals use caves for shelter and feeding; animals will seek refuge within and can be accidentally trapped or predators will carry a carcass into a cave. Cave fossils can be important resources for paleontologists who use these accumulations to identify what types of organisms have inhabited an area.

Caves are important environments for the preservation of paleontological resources. The relatively constant temperature and humidity of caves aid in the long-term preservation of organic material. Fossils formed inside the caves are protected from the harmful effects of solar radiation, as well as the forces of weathering and erosion.