GC3DHZD Dinosaur Train : Dunkleosteus (Traditional Cache) in Pennsylvania, United States created by Geo-Ben

This cache has been archived.

Geo-Ben: Checked on caches today and they are gone. These Dino caches had a good run. Apparently I have a troll stalking me and stealing my caches. There can not be any coincidence that all 6 of my caches in this park going missing at the same time. I had the same thing happen at some local Game Lands too. Oh well, thanks to some jerk of a human these are no longer available for the families of kids that they where designed for. Hope you feel good about yourself.

GC3DHZD ▼

A cache by Geo-Ben Message this owner

Hidden : 3/9/2012

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

LAKE TOWHEE'S
DINOSAUR TRAIN GEOCACHE

DUNKLEOSTEUS

Dunkleosteus is one of the largest prehistoric fish to have lived, existing during the Late Devonian period, about 380-360 million years ago. The class lasted barely 50 million years, in comparison to the 400 million year long history of sharks.

This hunter, measuring up to 33 ft in length and weighing 4.0 short tons, was a hypercarnivorous apex predator. Instead of teeth, Dunkleosteus possessed two pairs of sharp bony plates which formed a beak-like structure.

Dunkleosteus had the second most powerful bite of any fish (the giant megalodon being the strongest). It could concentrate a pressure of up to 8,000 pounds per square inch at the tip of its mouth, placing it in the same league as Tyrannosaurus rex and modern crocodiles as having the most powerful known bite.

Dunkleosteus could open its mouth in one-fiftieth of a second, which would have caused a powerful suction that pulled the prey into its mouth, a food-capture technique used by many fish today.

Due to its heavily armoured nature, Dunkleosteus was likely a relatively slow, but powerful, swimmer. It is thought to have dwelled in diverse zones of inshore waters. Fossilization tends to have preserved only the especially armoured frontal sections of specimens, and thus it is uncertain what exactly the hind sections of this ancient fish were like. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Pennsylvania Fact - Fossils of Gyracanthus can be found at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg. They were discovered in Erie County, (see map below) making Dunkleosteus a true Pennsylvania Dinosaur.

"Go outside, get into nature and make your own discoveries!" That is what Dr. Scott challenges his viewers to do at the end of each Dinosaur Train episode.

YOUNG EXPLORERS FIELD QUESTIONS:

How big do you think Dunkleosteus was?

Name another large animal that lives in the water today.
Be sure to tell us when signing the logbook!

For more information on this educational outreach initiative please visit the Dinosaur Train Geocaching Web Page at www.geocaching.com/dinosaurtrain

GEO-CACHING INFORMATION:

Park is open dawn to dusk.

Begin your Dino-Adventure at the posted parking coordinates.
Look for the start of the yellow hashed trail at the posted trail head coordinates.
There are currently five Dino-Caches along this route.
Total distance from parking lot to all five caches is is a little more then 1/2 mile one way.

At one point the trail comes out onto a dirt road and goes back into woods.
Coordinates are posted for this area under 2nd trail head.

I have added a 3rd trail head where the yellow trail intersects with an unmarked trail. This waypoint takes you to a part of the trail where it goes from a wide path to a narrow trail. The path to take for the yellow trail is well marked at this waypoint.

I found the whole park to be very wet and muddy in many areas and in varying degrees.
I would highly recommend clothing and boots you don't mind getting muddy, wet, or dirty.
Now that I have given you everything you need; get out there, follow the yellow-marked trail,
mind the private property signs, and have a Dino-Good time.

Each cache contains a PA Scratch-Off Lottery Ticket for FTF. However, if the FTF'r is the same for all five caches please only take one ticket and leave the rest for the STF, TTF, 4TF & 5TF. Unless of course you are a group then one ticket per individual.

Good Luck Dino-Hunter and Happy Caching.
Geo-Ben

*** Congratulations to Silverkat1 and Zix7 for FTF on the morning of Sunday March 11, 2012 ***

Honorable Mentions go out to STF Zooming Boomers and TTF PKDAD1 & PKKID1

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

"V srry yvxr n svfu bhg bs jngre ol guvf snyyra gerr. Jul qvq fbzrbar guebj n cvyr bs fgvpxf ba zr?" --- Gur Qhaxyrbfgrhf.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)