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Sometimes even the strangest and seemingly inexplicable things may have the simplest rational explanation. This is not at all means no mysticism and nothing supernatural in the world no, however, some “incomprehensible to the mind” phenomena remain so only until someone reveals their secret. Exactly happened to the mysterious spirals found at the end the century before last in Nebraska USA and dubbed “corkscrews of the devil.”
The discovery of the mysterious “corkscrew of the devil”
In 1891, paleontologist Erwin Barbor visited Nebraska and discovered striking screw formations in the north of the state thicker crumbled rock. You would have thought that a certain the fabulous giant had fun here, driving a huge corkscrew into the ground and taking it back, which is why these remained in the soil spiral tracks several meters long. However, despite to the fact that the scientist personally called his find “corkscrews of the devil”, nor what the hell had he never believed in. Therefore barbor set The goal is to explain this phenomenon by scientific methods.
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American suggested that screw formations are petrified remains of giant ancient algae or sponges. No wonder it is believed that many millions of years ago at this place there was a large freshwater lake. Another paleontologist, Theodore Fuchs, objected to his colleague, saying that, most likely, “devil’s corkscrews” are of terrestrial origin and are burrows extinct animals. According to Fuchs, these spirals were dug. the progenitors of modern rodents. Barbor, however, refused recognize this theory and spoke in 1896 at a meeting American Geological Society. There he shook present by presenting them with perfectly symmetrical screws that, they could not have been created by any animals.
Ancestors of beavers
True, after 8 years, the global scientific community has learned that for entrepreneur Erwin selected the most correct ones for his demonstration fossilized spirals, throwing aside unpretentious samples, do not fit into his theory. And yet, all these years the hypothesis Barbora was dominant, and the scientist himself received considerable recognition for your find. However, then the truth accidentally revealed itself himself, and Barbor instantly lost his former reputation.
In 1904, employees of the Pittsburgh Museum of Natural History unexpectedly discovered in one of the “corkscrew of the devil” the remains poorly studied animal from the rodent order. Then the specialists and it became clear who dug these moves underground. Find also explained the origin of weird scratches in some corkscrews the devil. “It turned out to be traces of incisors of ancient animals. The creature found turned out to be a paleocastor – the ancestor of modern beavers. The remains of these animals were previously found in North America, however, no one knew before that the paleocastors dug themselves spiral holes.
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Paleocastors existed on Earth at the end of the Oligocene era, ended 23 million years ago. American descendants fossil beavers resembled little. Paleocastors had much smaller sizes, lived on land and were deprived of powerful tails. But them the jaws and forepaws were much stronger than those we know beavers. Perhaps, modern and ancient beavers are united unless unprecedented zeal in work and a creative approach to it.
Aborigines revered paleocastors
Interestingly, in the traditions of the Lakota Indians, still living here, there is a story about “beaver grandfathers” who saved the world from a formidable monster that lived underground. This area was called the Bad Earth by the natives. Natives from time to time stumbled upon skeletons of dinosaurs and other ancient animals. They are they were very afraid of these remains, believing that bones could certain conditions come to life again.
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Most Indians were afraid of Untecheil – a giant water snake. According to legend, the local warrior Wakinyan could not beat monster, and then he had to throw a cry. Wakinyan called for any daredevils to sacrifice themselves in the name of saving all living things. On the “Grandfather-beavers” eagerly answered this call. She headed under the earth and turned there in stone together with their many intricate burrows so as not to allow Untecheil from now on break out to the surface.
Since then, the Indians revered paleocastors and counted them Petrified screw holes in shrines. So while scientists fought over the mystery of origin for more than a decade “corkscrews of the devil,” the natives have been knowledgeable for centuries about what it is – the petrified burrows of ancient beavers. Pity u nobody asked them anything. Find out the people of science about this legend, and then the origin of looking out of the crumbling slopes is strange spirals would not be a mystery to them from the very beginning. That’s how happens in life …
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Time
