DISCOVERY CHANNEL WILL HIGHLIGHT SEMO PRESIDENT

The Discovery Channel will spotlight the work of a Southeast Missouri State University professor and two of his geosciences students who made a discovery at Mammoth Cave, Ky., National Park.

A film crew will visit the campus Thursday to interview Dr. John Holbrook, associate professor of geosciences, and student researchers Tammy Eifert of Jackson and Phil Statler of Patton.

Holbrook and the students have confirmed that large burrowing organisms existed during the Paleozoic era. The era covers the period of 600 million to 230 million years ago. It was characterized by the development of the first fishes, amphibians, reptiles and land plants.

Holbrook said he and his students found evidence of large burrowing organisms by examining fossil burrow structures preserved in rock.

The 350-million-year-old structures are about arm size, Holbrook said.

"There's been suspicion that animals that made large burrows weren't around then," he said. "Our findings confirm that they, in fact, were."

Holbrook began research at Mammoth Cave about five years ago, but launched work on this aspect of the study about two years ago.

He and the students reach the site to collect samples by rappelling about 60 feet down into the cave through a man-made culvert about 2 feet in diameter.

Entering the cave through the shaft allows the scientists quick access to the research site. Otherwise, they would have to crawl and hike seven hours through the cave to reach the site.

The Discovery Channel is expected to film segments in a geosciences laboratory in Rhodes Hall Room 122.

The film crew is expected to return in late May to film Holbrook and the students at Mammoth Cave.

The footage will make up about 15 minutes of an hour-long new series tentatively entitled "Hidden World." No date has been set for the program to air.