How Lava Turned a Rhino Into a Cave

[@heskan]

"Hm, where did my rhino go?" *suspiciously rhino shaped cave*:

[@clarehidalgo]

Junji Ito-esqe "this hole was made for me" vibe

[@ZentaBon]

💀 An emoji commonly used to depict medium-high levels of amusement

[@jwalster9412]

SKKKKUUUHHHLLL​ EMMMMOOOJJJIIII@@ZentaBon

[@feuerling]

"Gone, reduced to atoms."

[@N0v4.fr05t.]

Saddam hussein shaped hole​@@clarehidalgo

[@SgtSupaman]

A lot of people have pointed out that children will step in someone else's footprints for fun, but there is another aspect to it. Sometimes ground can be uncertain, but, if you've just seen someone else bigger than you step there without any problems of slipping or sinking, then that is a safe place for you to step as well.

[@Tugela60]

Pretty sure that is not what kids are thinking. That is what you are thinking. Not the same thing.

[@tvrkm6897]

I'm surprised nobody has remembered that sand people walk single file to hide their numbers.

[@eotwkdp]

@@Tugela60possibly some sort of instinct. Very old ones barley ever used

[@Tugela60]

@eotwkdp Not an instinct. It is something called "fun". It is a game.

[@SgtSupaman]

@@Tugela60 , you don't have to consciously think something for it to be a reason behind an action.

[@ProjectPhysX]

3:58 who hasn't ever steped into someone else's foodprints in mud/clay as a child? This seems so very... human.

[@gaiacelt]

Exactly my thought!

[@lady_draguliana784]

🤤mmmmm... food prints... 🤤

[@brqxton8974]

This phenomena is actually mainly only done by humans. While many animals will follow trails, they will almost always create their own tracks instead of using tracks already established

[@DemPilafian]

Clearly the Laetoli people were superstitious. Even pre-humans knew it was bad luck to step on the line. You either step completely inside or completely outside the footprint. I bet the Laetoli also gambled and did drugs.

[@Ravenpaw1313]

@@DemPilafian You know, almost as silly as that sounds one of my favourite food channels that travels the world to learn about traditional food cultures including many still functional tribal ones laughs that (politely) that humans have been seeking "drug" items for pretty much as long as there have been humans

[@Cordeliaceps]

The Blue Rhino Cave is so amazing because it has a creature literally become their own mausoleum with the bone remains housed inside?! Since the rhino was already dead it's a beautiful happenstance of memorialization.

[@germanomagnone]

it's almost similar, as in Pompeii they create the "bodies" of the Pompeians

[@gilliesiut2332]

That rhino definitely died from the volcano. Just not the lava

[@evilsharkey8954]

@@gilliesiut2332It may have died from something else and been washed down a river and into the larger body of water where the lava pillows were forming. Pillow lavas can happen when there’s nothing going on above the water. It also could have died from volcanic activity on the surface. Without any soft tissue, it’s hard to tell cause of death sometimes.

[@MarkTravis-l6g]

I heard there's lots of propane in the blue rhino cave

[@zolacnomiko]

The phenomenon of tree trunks turned into "caves" is quite common in the copious lava flows of Mauna Loa and Kīlauea Volcanoes on Hawai‘i Island. They are called tree molds, you can find them all over the place! I've even found a perfect impression of a hala (pandanus) fruit in lava rock.

[@YunxiaoChu]

Wow

[@slwrabbits]

cooooool

[@Dusto9]

There's even video footage of the creation of new tree molds during the 2018 Kilauea eruption. It's fascinating to see the lava engulf some trees and harden in place before the trees can burn up, and then footage of a while later after the trees had completely burned away leaving just some tree shaped holes.

[@kingofrobbers1751]

The foot prints remind me of when me and my father where traversing through snow when I was young and I followed in his foot steps because it was easier and allowed me to keep up without tripping as much

[@gl15col]

My favorite are the foot prints at White Sands, where there were animal prints going across the human ones including a giant sloth. Those poor kids must have been so scared...

[@johannageisel5390]

@@gl15col The sloth could have been there a few hours later. Or the child already knew those sloths existed and did typically not attack humans. Children nowadays can learn about horses and then gleefully walk up to them and kiss them on the nose.

[@jessicapearson9479]

Yeah....... giant sloths WERE NOT docile! They were far quicker than sloths today and they were opportunistic and would EAT people when given the chance. Also, humans hunted giant sloths.

[@johannageisel5390]

@@jessicapearson9479 Do you have a source for the people eating sloths? Do we have archological evidence for that? And that humans hunted sloths only supports my hypothesis that the children were probably not afraid of them. They've seen their parents kill those beasts and serve them for dinner.

[@war5561]

I thought exactly the same thing.. that was a child. My father did this for me as well for exactly the same reason. And it would be just like a child to step in their parents footprints just for fun.

[@SilverNox]

I love that we have evidence of one walking in the footsteps of another. Makes them feel real because we can start thinking of their motivation. Was it easier to step in the foot prints instead of untouched mud? Was it a bored child? Were they stalking/tracking the first traveler? So interesting

[@gilliesiut2332]

I was thinking they where caught in the ash storm so they had their heads down and just stepped in the same path on instinct

[@singamajigy]

Ancient footprints intrigue me even more than fossils because they show the preservation of a specific moment in time, not just the body of a creature. It really gives me goosebumps to think about.

[@pauls5745]

Yeah, an event. Here was ancient life doing it's daily grind in that exact place, millions of years ago. And you are at that same place now.

[@zzzzzz4556]

I love your perspective!!! I will think of this next time I study fossil foot prints/trails! Amber is pretty amazing too if you think about it. especially large intact specimens!!

[@evilsharkey8954]

Sometimes you get both. Some fish fossils were found in North America with tectites in their gills. They appear to have been buried very fast. The fossils are about 66 million years old. Tectites are a type of meteorite ejecta.

[@MarkTravis-l6g]

Ok but dying is an event too finding a body includes everything you spoke of and more

[@gl15col]

I've been to Ashfall Fossil beds, a really nice set up with an air conditioned building over the major finds so you can walk around on a raised walkway and see all those poor animals where they died. There are often students excavating the skeletons who will talk to you about what they're doing. Clean, well laid out and an outdoor area with bronze sculptures of the animals found there.

[@20Quarters]

All very true. If anyone is ever around there you should definitely check it out

[@kellydalstok8900]

I learned from Gutsick Gibbon that the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees wasn’t a knuckle walker. That trait didn’t develop in chimps until after the split.

[@mikal9904]

Super awesome channel. Good taste.

[@desert_sky_guy]

Y'all are the bee's knees, SciShow crew! Thank you for all you do!

[@bruceschneider4928]

What kind of bee? Is it a previously unidentified one trapped in amber?

[@TheGiggleMasterP]

Lava turned one ring into a new golden age of man

[@DefinatelyNotAI]

That's the opposite of preserving it. Now that one silmaril...

[@TitularHeroine]

​@@DefinatelyNotAI One? There are lots of silmarilarites.

[@CHAD-RYAN]

Lord of the rings

[@jessejorgensen3931]

Why would would you step directly into the foot steps in front of you? For the same reason we would. It was something to do. I’ve found myself doing it while on hikes in soft ground. For no real reason other than light entertainment

[@Ahrpigi]

I hear sand people do it to hide their numbers

[@mayaenglish5424]

That and it is often an easier path as well. And you know it's a safe one because someone's already stepped there.

[@Bogwedgle]

That's the interesting part though, we're talking 3 million years ago and yet it's a behaviour that's so very human. It shows a level of understanding and intent that's cool to know even our far earlier relatives had.

[@pheart2381]

Yes,especially during a volcanic eruption. The ash compressed by the person in front would give a safer foothold.

[@JTD19881369]

They could also be tactical. Hiding numbers. Chimpanzees have territorial conflicts. Assuming our early human ancestors could have as well.

[@4RILDIGITAL]

Fascinating how something as destructive as volcanic activity can contribute so significantly to preserving our historical ecosystems. The violent eruptions creating beautifully preserved fossils is truly intriguing.

[@lady_draguliana784]

under the right conditions, a Pyroclastic Flow is _perfect_ for preserving bones! it instantly incinerates everything else, but for thick bones it can be great! AND you can get animals "frozen" in mid action, such as locked in battle, birth, or... the act that precedes birth... 😳

[@damnits2200]

😳

[@northstarjakobs]

Reminds me of the one preserved body at Pompeii that looks like he was cranking one last one out before getting swallowed up by the ash.

[@lady_draguliana784]

@@northstarjakobs yup! 🤣🤣🤣

[@germanomagnone]

this thing about the "lava molds" of this poor rhinoceros makes me remember 2 things: one the "casts" of Pompeii and the molds for Easter eggs, you might get an easter rhino!

[@jimwilson3156]

Maybe this has since become outdated, but I remember learning that Pompeii received falling ash, whereas Herculaneum received pyroclastic flow. The vulture head preservation would be more comparable to the scenario in Herculaneum than in Pompeii, for what it’s worth (assuming what I learned is still the prevailing theory).

[@TheJohtunnBandit]

Walking through something loose and bulky like snow (or presumably ash) is easier when you can step into the prints of someone breaking trail. Out on long walks through the snow we would take turns breaking trail while the rest followed in the tracks for a more restful hike. It's also good because if there is a risk of stepping in a covered hole or something sharp, the tracks of the one in front are essentially guaranteed to be ok.

[@wizardfromthewest]

I live in Idaho I've been to the Bruneau sand dunes and fossilized lava and it's eerie!

[@tengonadacluewhatsgutsprec1419]

When I was little and saw someone leaving prints then I would do everything I could to step in those same spots. It was good entertainment in the pre-interent days! Willing to bet thats what our young ancestor was doing.

[@ErikaCrist7749]

Stepping in other people's footprints also has 2 interesting characteristics. 1) It's easier. Any rough or unstable ground you have to do more force stepping and removing your feet, so stepping on already compressed ground requires less effort. 2) you can hide your presence. Tracking footprints are a classical way of finding your prey. Along other reasons.

[@alexanderstrauch5531]

I went to Ashfall with my lab and my dad, we were the only people there so we got a personal tour and every paleontologist made the same joke about my dog wanting to steal a bone from the site. 10/10 would go again

[@moocowpong1]

the magma footprints were so much cooler than I expected

[@11amasuperboy]

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!! (I say as I wildly point at the Ashfall Fossil Bed segment, finally getting to use a word I learned in high school for absolutely no reason.)

[@flamingspinach]

when I was a kid I always felt like that word was kind of cheating somehow because it has a suffix ("-ic") in the middle directly followed by a prefix ("silico-") which isn't supposed to happen ― I thought it should have been two words, "pneumonoultramicroscopic silicovolcanoconiosis"

[@11amasuperboy]

@@flamingspinach I mean, everyone knows scientists are notoriously bad at naming things. I'd put 5 bucks on that word being the way it is because someone forgot to put a space between two words when they first wrote it in a paper or something.

[@igrim4777]

​​@@flamingspinachYou're right that it's cheating. It uses microscopic when the combining form would be micro e.g. microbiology not microscopicbiology, c.f. nanobot not nanoscopicbot. Adding: pneumono- should be pneumo-.

[@igrim4777]

​@@11amasuperboyYou owe me and @flamingspinach, who I'm sure would have taken you up on that, five bucks. You're being unnecessarily rude to scientists by saying they forgot a space on the double grounds that the space wasn't forgotten and it wasn't scientists. It was made up as an unnecessarily long word by a guy who was president of a society that made puzzles and did word play. It's a pointless word because the medical condition it purported to name was already called pneumoconiosis or silicosis and ironically volcanic ash is less likely to cause silicosis than other forms of inhaled silica.

[@flamingspinach]

@@igrim4777 "It was made up as an unnecessarily long word by a guy who was president of a society that made puzzles and did word play." Yup, that tracks. It smacks of those lists of obscure phobias you see floating around, where 99% of the supposed -phobia words were made up by someone for the sole purpose of being included on lists of obscure phobias and have never been seriously used in a sentence by anyone, lol Or actually, for that matter, to cite a much older example, all the supposed group nouns for different animals (a "murder" of crows, an "ambush" of tigers, a "scurry" of squirrels etc.), which were actually mostly made up by bored English aristocrats in the 14th century and eventually published in a book called the Book of Saint Albans which then proceeded to be taken seriously by people hundreds of years later, somehow

[@lindaseel9986]

It's Stefan! ❤ Thank you for explaining the Lava/ Magma footprints.

[@christopherbrand5360]

pain in the ash...

[@theghost9667]

Rest in ashes

[@bruceschneider4928]

All that remained were ash holes.

[@NR.gamer241]

Then they started to uncover the ash holes

[@Aoitori365]

rhino death cave would be a good name for a metal band

[@jeffreynichols6367]

I've done the hike/climb up the cliff to go to the rhino cave at Blue lake back in 2015. It's quite the small opening to crawl through and then it's just barely big enough for two people to fit inside. The bones apparently are down in California at some University collection. There is also a fiberglass reproduction of the cave at a museum in Seattle.

[@christopherstovall761]

3:57 "...and a third individual followed. What's funny is the third one stepped directly into the larger footprints that were already there. But we have no way to know why they did that." I think Obi-Wan Kenobi could shed some light on this: "Sandpeople always ride single file to hide their numbers."

[@nat9909]

There are sills like the one shown sticking out of and lining the Connecticut River and they often have dinosaur foot prints and other fossil remains. The pioneer Valley section was quite volcanic 250 million years ago and there is even a species of sturgeon that still exists from that time that continues to live in the river.

[@oracleofdelphi4533]

And the award for coolest way to be preserved goes to....

[@mayaenglish5424]

It's certainly up there. I think bogs still get my vote for number 1 though.

[@liberalenextrema]

The snark when explaining the name of the site was unexpected and perfect.

[@sbryant1993sb]

A rhino into a cave okay im interested

[@KiaraClaw]

Me too let's see how it happened

[@bricksloth6920]

A rhino shaped , rhino sized cave is my prediction

[@cynhanrahan4012]

Very cool. Proving language shifts because there is nothing low temp about a pyroclastic flows, or magma intrusions. I love this channel.

[@targetdreamer257]

"Why are there dinosaur tracks on the ceiling?" *eye them suspiciously* "Spider Dino, Spider Dino, doing what a Spider Dino does."

[@worskaas]

Homer, is that you? 😂

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

2:26 There were Elephants in Arizona back in the day, too! And that's no oceanfront property joke!!! 😊 In fact, there were elephants in Arizona as recently as the end of the last glacial maximum. Considering they arrived in South America 3 million years ago we know they survived many ice ages events. It wasn't until just recently, geologically speaking at least, that the went extinct here.

[@JustaMuteCat]

No mention of pitchstones? They are pretty much a slight deviation in composition to obsidian and, iirc, ones found in Scotland can contain ammonite fossils inside them. Well, to be fair, you can find those buggers everywhere in Scotland.

[@wade2277]

I have been to Blue lake HUNDREDS of times. I lived in Randle most of my life. It has a pretty difficult ATV/ Motorcycle trail to get to it. Had NO idea that was even there. Edit : This is Blue lake in Eastern Washington. Near Dry Falls.

[@joshuahunt3032]

1:10 I’m sorry, Yellowstone has an entire volcanic system? Man, I hate volcanic activity…

[@Raven74947]

"It was already dead" Good to know we now have cruelty free fossils.

[@jonahblock]

Did he just say Nevada used to have camels?

[@fordwel5]

Yes. Probably migrated to Asia when the land bridge was formed

[@KageSama19]

Mclaren Stanely, thank you very much. You help where I cannot.

[@PopeGoliath]

There are caves made from trees near Mount St helens. I've crawled inside one!

[@erikreber3695]

The mechanics of the world are truly fascinating.

[@c.jishnu378]

"And the rest is history" says Scishow after explaining something more historic. 5:07

[@Yezpahr]

'Fear of getting cast in lava' does sound like it warrants a '-phobia' scientific name. 6:55 But it also sounds like a great way to preserve your likeness after passing. Dilemma dilemma.

[@TheDarkKnight1212]

Just wanted to do an extra shoutout to Mclaren Stanley for making it so that I can enjoy this amazing content for free. Thank you.

[@caseyleichter2309]

The instant I saw the title, I knew it had to refer to my state's Blue Lake Rhino :)

[@slwrabbits]

Do you know if it's open to the public to visit?

[@caseyleichter2309]

@@slwrabbits It's a trail, straight up a rock slope, with lots of rocks to scramble over - and rocks often fall down from above. So it's not recommended for most people.

[@slwrabbits]

@@caseyleichter2309 Thanks, good to know. Well, at least this way it won't be ruined by tourists ...

[@chelseatappa284]

Thanks prez Stanley 🤙

[@KCFreitag]

Thank you, McLaren!

[@num-vz5zo]

hank

[@hashbrown777]

4:50 or maybe, like chimpanzees, they're capable of walking upright but don't prefer to, but because it was sticky they wanted to keep their hands clean Idk if using this one instance proves much of anything :/

[@protocetid]

great title and content, hadn’t heard about these kinds of fossils

[@yuvalne]

if I remember correctly, one of the very earliest domesticated goats was buried and preserved in an eruption.

[@mobilephil244]

Unfortunately, the Blue Lake Rhino probably suffocated in agony in the eruption fumes only a few hours earlier - anyt longer and its carcase would have been predated.

[@bemybff205]

You can't make a video on this topic and not mention the dude in Pompeii that was preserved while rubbing one out. A true hero 👏

[@pg2826]

What a facinating episode.

[@JefferyMewtamer]

Being entombed in lava sounds like the most uncool way to be fossilized... Pretty damn awesome though.

[@terraknight2384]

I remember when I first went to the Burke Museum over 10 years ago, they had the rhino cave on display. Sadly, when I went there a few months ago the rhino cave seems to have been excluded from the post renovation displays (unless I am stupid and missed it).

[@KraftyKreator]

10:17 Where is the footprint? Is it upside down? I’m confused. Or is it the spots that are several prints?

[@azrielmoha6877]

The spots. Sauropods have round feet

[@trabajaba]

It's my favorite presenter 💯🔥

[@mayaenglish5424]

🎉 Woohoo Mclaren Stanley. President of Science! 🎉

[@Alice_Walker]

Great Episode! 💜

[@grubalaboocreosote4774]

Thank you, McLaren Stanley

[@Trtlman82]

I live in the same state as the blue lake rhino but still haven't seen it. It's definitely on my bucket list.

[@loompy1440]

Oh hey you mentioned Bruneau in Idaho! That’s where I rockhound. Look up Bruneau Jasper if you wanna see some very unusual non-fossil ancient information

[@outlawbillionairez9780]

Eruption, pyroclastic flow... Add animals... Shake and Bake!

[@miriammcfarlane6972]

Well, there you go...magma footprints! Pretty neat, huh? 😊

[@monicamares9198]

I was once or twice in some ash rain...scary is all i could think of but we were all fine

[@翠鳥]

11:25 This explanation of the principles behind preserving ancient footprints somehow reminds me of the photolithography process in semiconductors (lol).

[@MateusSFigueiredo]

At around 2:20 you say horses survived for longer. is that longer as in hours, days, months?

[@ariadgaia5932]

Thank you, President Mclaren!!! 🥰

[@TimYoshi]

Wow, that was unexpected (about magma tracks)

[@susannahallanic1167]

Thank you!

[@Mew-Alder]

I didn't know there was anything in Nebraska

[@RobertDPore]

There are a lot of Cenozoic fossil sites here in Nebbyraska. Also, we have Carhenge.

[@michaelmicek]

There is, but it's all just stuff planted in the dirt.

[@gl15col]

Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, world class with lots of new, open area enclosures and they have gorilla babies every year. The zoo is involved in lots of endangered species breeding programs and the grounds are quite lovely.

[@gabriellynch2764]

Dirt. Most dirt has some stuff in it if you dig enough.

[@Kevin89866]

I am from Australia... Nebraska doesn't exist it is a conspiracy from the world government trying to make you believe the world exists.

[@lesleyghostdragon3149]

Can't help picturing Kallie, pinky finger to corner of lips, saying "MAGMA" ☺

[@leenonolee4629]

Ashfalls aren't gentle. One thing I am grateful for is that scientests didn't interpret the lower layers of the same ashfall as a different geologic era as they do with forests, which were basically like Spirit Lake at Mt. St. Helen.

[@evilsharkey8954]

As soon as you mentioned pillow lava, I knew that poor rhino didn’t go the way of Gollum. It makes you feel less sad than the fossils from pyroclastic flows and ash falls.

[@wjr4700]

For a second I thought that Hank was finally elected president of science.

[@HaesslichG]

I knew Hank wasn't human!

[@General12th]

Hi Stefan!

[@rebekahtaylor4830]

Saving to watch later it's almost 6.30am need sleep lol but too interesting 😂

[@mayaenglish5424]

Fine Scishow, you've intrigued me... go on. 😂

[@hherpdderp]

"This hole was made for me" - Jim Carrey

[@TheAechBomb]

"this hole was made from me" - Rhino

[@fordwel5]

Thank you to who ever voted for the current president of science

[@anarchyantz1564]

If you want more on this, tune to PBS Eons as they did more on this a while back, Kallie the presenter also did her internship at ashfall.

[@bruceschneider4928]

Pretty sure I saw Rhino Death Cave at a music festival back in the '90s.

[@BanD1t8]

Like if you want to be instantly covered in a hot but not too hot pyroclastic flow, leaving your impression inside the rock for the future generations to study.

[@mecha-sheep7674]

"Rhino, go on. Now! Throw it in the fire ! Rhino hesitate "What are you waiting for? Just let it go!" Rhino : "The Ring is mine!" And then Golum and the rhino plunges into the fire. Tolkien edited the story later because he had no need for a rhino-shaped cave.

[@NickRoman]

That's it, instead of a grave stone, I want a statue made of me, after I die.

[@jameseddleman6944]

Dude, I want to be a cave...

[@unoriginalname4321]

That should be a burial option

[@MrARock001]

Can we get a Crash Course: Geology?

[@lawrencewatson577]

Reminds me of the footprint in Quartsite Arizona

[@irinisce]

Are the fossils still on the site? Moght be an interesting tourism visit tbh

[@juncohill]

This hole, it was made FROM me!

[@kashiichan]

+

[@rustix3]

10:12 At this point I was expecting to hear about dinosaur footprints in Koytendag mountains in Turkmenistan. They look better preserved. The footprints are speculated to be of T-Rex.

[@joebastarache3507]

As someone who grew up whit alot of snow, I can tell you that in a deep snowfall, young kids who don't want to get snow in their boots step in the tracks their parents or a friend

[@avereth]

It's rare I'll click into a video for the title alone, but here we are.

[@TeaShirt211088]

man it blows my mind if i think of how many fosils and other stuff is now on the ground of the ocean. 😅

[@Sausketo]

Imagine someone finds a t-rex lava cast

[@carlosbig2946]

as soon as he said footprints i knew we were boutta talk abt the laetoli footprints.