Comments on: Producer's Notes: Ice Age Bay Area http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/11/10/producers-notes-ice-age-bay-area/ Explore science, nature and environment stories from Northern California and beyond with KQED’s multimedia series Thu, 24 May 2012 05:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Chris Bauer http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/11/10/producers-notes-ice-age-bay-area/#comment-11699 Chris Bauer Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:53:27 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=935#comment-11699 The excavation of a fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel between Orinda and Oakland is tapping into a time capsule. Paleontologists are sifting through the rubble in search of fossils expected to give clues to old life-forms and climate change in the Bay Area. To learn more about the process and what they are discovering, check out: http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15533976?source=rss The excavation of a fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel between Orinda and Oakland is tapping into a time capsule. Paleontologists are sifting through the rubble in search of fossils expected to give clues to old life-forms and climate change in the Bay Area. To learn more about the process and what they are discovering, check out:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15533976?source=rss

]]> By: Kathlene http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/11/10/producers-notes-ice-age-bay-area/#comment-11698 Kathlene Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:36:28 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=935#comment-11698 Thank you for this fascinating report. I live in Bodega Bay and posted your link in my blog BodegaBayLife.com. Please keep up the great work, we need more documentation of our natural history like this. Thank you for this fascinating report. I live in Bodega Bay and posted your link in my blog BodegaBayLife.com. Please keep up the great work, we need more documentation of our natural history like this.

]]> By: E. Breck Parkman http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/11/10/producers-notes-ice-age-bay-area/#comment-11697 E. Breck Parkman Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:05:42 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=935#comment-11697 At Sunset Rocks, there are vertical rock faces where a continuous and uniform polish extends for distances greater than 12-15 feet horizontal and 6-8 feet vertical. Climbers must certainly account for some polish on rocks, but they can't create polish like that. That said, the polished rock "knobs" used as hand and foot holds by boulderers at Sunset are likely being further polished by the climbers. At Sunset, though, the raised knobs account for a small fraction of the actual polished surfaces. I spent the first few years of my research observing and interviewing climbers at Sunset in order to delineate any effects they were having on the rocks. I have a pretty good idea of how and where climbers utilize the rock. Most of the polished areas are also areas that see regular climbing, but the climbers do not come in actual contact with the vast majority of the polished surfaces, with the exception of the raised knobs used as holds. I should also note that I have found several other similarly polished rocks within a few miles of Sunset Rocks that are absolutely not climbed or bouldered. I spent three years conducting a large-scale archaeological dig at one of these other nearby sites, and found polished rock faces buried beneath the current land surface in sediments radiocarbon dated to the late Pleistocene (20,000calYRBP). All of these polished rocks, Sunset included, are identical to well-known buffalo rubbing rocks on the Northern (Canadian) Plains (which I've personally studied) as well as contemporary elephant rubbing rocks in Africa (which I haven't yet visited). That obviously doesn't prove that Sunset Rocks and the other nearby occurrences were polished by Ice Age mammoth and bison, but these megamammals do appear to be the most liklely suspects based on all the research my team and I have conducted to date. But I'd be perfectly delighted if someone else comes up with some other explanation that proves correct. In the end, Science isn't about being proven right or wrong, but about determining the truth. We may never truly know just who or what created the polish at Sunset Rocks, but regardless, the quest to determine the truth is an amazing and exciting journey that we are all part of. At Sunset Rocks, there are vertical rock faces where a continuous and uniform polish extends for distances greater than 12-15 feet horizontal and 6-8 feet vertical. Climbers must certainly account for some polish on rocks, but they can't create polish like that. That said, the polished rock "knobs" used as hand and foot holds by boulderers at Sunset are likely being further polished by the climbers. At Sunset, though, the raised knobs account for a small fraction of the actual polished surfaces. I spent the first few years of my research observing and interviewing climbers at Sunset in order to delineate any effects they were having on the rocks. I have a pretty good idea of how and where climbers utilize the rock. Most of the polished areas are also areas that see regular climbing, but the climbers do not come in actual contact with the vast majority of the polished surfaces, with the exception of the raised knobs used as holds. I should also note that I have found several other similarly polished rocks within a few miles of Sunset Rocks that are absolutely not climbed or bouldered. I spent three years conducting a large-scale archaeological dig at one of these other nearby sites, and found polished rock faces buried beneath the current land surface in sediments radiocarbon dated to the late Pleistocene (20,000calYRBP). All of these polished rocks, Sunset included, are identical to well-known buffalo rubbing rocks on the Northern (Canadian) Plains (which I've personally studied) as well as contemporary elephant rubbing rocks in Africa (which I haven't yet visited). That obviously doesn't prove that Sunset Rocks and the other nearby occurrences were polished by Ice Age mammoth and bison, but these megamammals do appear to be the most liklely suspects based on all the research my team and I have conducted to date. But I'd be perfectly delighted if someone else comes up with some other explanation that proves correct. In the end, Science isn't about being proven right or wrong, but about determining the truth. We may never truly know just who or what created the polish at Sunset Rocks, but regardless, the quest to determine the truth is an amazing and exciting journey that we are all part of.

]]> By: Erik http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/11/10/producers-notes-ice-age-bay-area/#comment-11696 Erik Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:34:44 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=935#comment-11696 I don't think it's at all naive. After all, how will we learn without someone willing to make a bold statement and then listen to its critiques? That said, I recognize all of those polish marks as key handholds and footholds for the local rock climbing community. That area is famous for "bouldering" where you climb 15 feet or so with no ropes and then fall onto pads. How did you exclude the possibility that it was just climber polish? I don't think it's at all naive. After all, how will we learn without someone willing to make a bold statement and then listen to its critiques? That said, I recognize all of those polish marks as key handholds and footholds for the local rock climbing community. That area is famous for "bouldering" where you climb 15 feet or so with no ropes and then fall onto pads. How did you exclude the possibility that it was just climber polish?

]]> By: E. Breck Parkman http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/11/10/producers-notes-ice-age-bay-area/#comment-11695 E. Breck Parkman Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:29:32 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=935#comment-11695 The results of subsurface observation and geomorphological analysis suggests that the current surface around the polished rocks approximates that of the terminal Pleistocene. The results of subsurface observation and geomorphological analysis suggests that the current surface around the polished rocks approximates that of the terminal Pleistocene.

]]> By: Dan Granett http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/11/10/producers-notes-ice-age-bay-area/#comment-11694 Dan Granett Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:09:00 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=935#comment-11694 Mr. Parkman's discovery of the animal polished rocks is quite plausible except for his naive conclusion that the height of the tallest polished rock indicates the height of the animal that rubbed it. Ground levels around the rocks can vary wildly even from year to year after mudslides, heavy rains and earthquakes. Still, great show. Mr. Parkman's discovery of the animal polished rocks is quite plausible except for his naive conclusion that the height of the tallest polished rock indicates the height of the animal that rubbed it.
Ground levels around the rocks can vary wildly even from year to year after mudslides, heavy rains and earthquakes.
Still, great show.

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