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Story summary
- The pampathere (an armadillo relative) and Hesperotestudo were found in Bender's Cave, Texas, signaling an ice-age ecosystem undocumented in the region.
- Lead author John Moretti noted these animals were not expected to inhabit the area, which was thought to be a dry grassland.
- Explorations occurred in 2023 and 2024.
- Fossils may have washed into the cave during floods, while dating uses calcite crusts due to mineral contamination.
