Incredible selection of Ice Age ‘megafauna’ remains including a mammoth, rhino, hyena and wolf dating back up to 60,000 years are discovered in a Devon cave
The remains were found during surveys of the Sherford New Town development
They date to the Middle Devensian, a period when Britain’s climate was colder
Analysis of the finds may provide new insights into the ecosystems of the time
The specimens are expected to go on display at The Box, a museum in Plymouth
An incredible selection of Ice Age ‘megafauna’ including a woolly mammoth and rhino dating back up to 60,000 years have been discovered in a Devon cave.
Megafauna are large animals. While some, like elephants, exist today, the term is usually associated with those that thrived in the Late Pleistocene, such as mammoths.
The remains were found underground during pre-construction surveys at Sherford New Town, a 5,500-home community being developed on the edge of Plymouth.
Other species found at the site near Sherford Quarry include hyena, horse, hare, red fox, reindeer and wolf.
The specimens all date back to the Middle Devensian, a period of Britain’s pre-history in which the climate was significantly colder than it is today.
According to the researchers, the ‘exceptional’ discoveries will provide new insights into Britain’s Ice Age ecosystems and the food chains that they supported.
In particular, analysis of the herbivorous species may provide insights into the local plant species of the time, of which little direct evidence survives today.
Analysis of the New Town site was first instigated by the Sherford Consortium prior to the development beginning back in August 2015 and has been ongoing since.
‘This discovery is exceptional,’ said Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson.
‘To have found partial remains of such a range of species here in Devon gives us a brilliant insight into the animals which roamed around Ice Age Britain thousands of years ago, as well as a better understanding of the environment at the time.
‘We are delighted that this important part of our history will be preserved for future generations.’
The animal remains have been carefully detailed and removed from the ground, and are now undergoing analysis and conservation work.
It is expected that, when the research is complete, all the findings will be entrusted into the care of The Box, a museum in Plymouth just a few miles from where the specimens were unearthed in Sherford.
‘What an amazing discovery this is,’ said The Box CEO Victoria Pomery.
‘We already have some fascinating items in the collections at The Box from this era, some of which provided the inspiration for the hugely popular woolly mammoth and cave lion skeleton we have on display in our natural history gallery,’ she added.
Source: daily mail
Incredible selection of Ice Age ‘megafauna’ remains including a mammoth, rhino, hyena and wolf dating back up to 60,000 years are discovered in a Devon cave