JYNNIAW CAVE 3a
25.261100,91.591700
Description
»Another 60 m downstream from the previous cave [i.e. –>Jynniaw cave 2] is a third cave entrance, again lying in the left (east) side of the gorge. This is the largest of the three caves containing over 600 m of passage that form a complex joint controlled maze, much of the passage being only 1 m high. However, a more substantial size passage is to be found running is a southerly direction (down dip). This passage passes through several joint controlled chambers (avens) to end in [sic! qua: to leads to] an area of boulder collapse [note 1]. A second entrance [i.e. –>Jynniaw cave 3b] to this cave is situated 50 m further down the gorge from the main entrance« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30). PALAEONTOLOGY: Simon J Brooks (2012.06.23 personal correspondence) tells me to have found a fossil sea urchin, which was »found in the streamway of Krem Jynniaw 3« and resembling that depicted by BHATTACHARYA, A & BHATTACHARYA, U (1978 plate 4 fig. 1) as a specimen of »Sigmatopygus [sic!] elatus Forb.« (Echinoidea: Cassiduloida: Stigmatopygus elatus Forbes) from »Mahadek Formation, Mowsynram [sic!], Khasi Hill [sic!]« (BHATTACHARYA, A & BHATTACHARYA, U 1978: 19) but the genus Stigmatopygus d'Orbigny 1856: 331 is said (note 2) to have walked from Upper Cretaceous through to the Early Miocene simply each and every not-too-muddy floor in daylight-lit warm marine waters and thus too long to serve as evidence for either the Mahadek or Langpar formation.
NOTE 1: When boulders collapse, they turn into heaps of stones or gravel, sand and dust. The above mentioned »boulder collapse«, however, is suspected to connote a collapsed section of a cave passage blocked predominantly with boulders. NOTE 2: KROH, Andreas & SMITH, Andrew B (2010): The phylogeny and classification of post-Palaeozoic echinoids.- Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. ISSN 1477-2019 print / 1478-0941 online (Taylor & Francis), vol. 8, issue 2, June 2010, 147–212, DOI: 10.1080/14772011003603556, online: nhm.ac.uk/resources-rx/files/krohsmith2010-69272.p… (accessed 2012.06.24). NOTE 3: »krait« (English), from "karait" (Hindi): 1850 »Reptiles, and especially Colubridae, are very common in the Khasia mountains, and I procured sixteen species and many specimens. The natives repeatedly assured us that these were all harmless, and Dr. Gray, who has kindly examined all my snakes, informs me of the remarkable fact, that whereas none of these are poisonous … One of the Khasia blind-worms (a new species) belongs to a truly American genus (Ophisaurus) …« (HOOKER, J D 1854-1855, 2: 305). 1909 »Karait. A very venomous snake, Bungarus candidus or caeruleus« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 25: xv). 2005 »krait. A highly venomous Asian snake of the cobra family. Genus Bungarus, family Elapidae: several species, including the black and yellow banded krait (B. fasciatus)« (New American Oxford Dictionary 2005).
Documents
Bibliography 29/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1992.11.15, trip 1: Simon J. Brooks, Christopher M. Smart, Rob Harper and Helen Harper first explored and subsequently "surveyed" (sports cavers standard) a survey length of about 670 m or so resulting initially in a »general shortage of time« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30) and subsequently in a very rough sketch plan (BROOKS & SMART 1995 plate opposite page 30). Years later, Simon J. Brooks (personal communication) told me to have seen in Jynniaw Cave 3 a kind of »snake« or blind-worm, which was identified as a »krait« (note 2). 2012.02.12, trip 2, Pedro Silva Pinto, Helen Blyth, and Kyle Wayne Baker: »… surveyed … in the Krem Jynnaiw 1 before going to the adjacent Krem Jynniaw 2« which they »connected it to one of Georg’s teams’ survey stations in Krem Jynniaw 3« (Anonymous 2012.03.10 Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Team 2 Diary). 2012 March: From a particular point of view, not the cave survey but the caves »Krem Jynnaiw [sic! qua: Krem Jynniaw] 1, 2 and 3, partially explored in 1992 were all extended« (DAVIDSON, Ross 2012).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | JYNNIAW CAVE 2a | ||
| 0.0 | JYNNIAW CAVE 1st | ||
| 0.0 | JYNNIAW CAVE 3b | ||
| 0.0 | JYNNIAW CAVE 3d »Squeeze« | ||
| 0.0 | JYNNIAW CAVE 2b | ||
| 1.0 | PHUD JASIM, 1st (Krem) | ||
| 1.0 | PHUD JASIM, 2nd (Krem) | ||
| 1.5 | PAMSKEI (Krem) | ||
| 2.0 | JYNNIAW CAVE 3c »Pothole« |