Cave discovery reveals oldest community of animals living in European Arctic

The remains were found in the Arne Qvamgrotta cave in northern Norway which was first discovered in the 1990s.

A vertebra of a polar bear excavated from the sediments at the Arne Qvamgrotta cave in Norway. Pictures: Bournemouth University

The remains of 46 types of mammals, fish and birds, dating back more than 10,000 years have been found in a cave in northern Norway providing the oldest example of an animal community living in the European Arctic region.

The discovery, which includes polar bear, walrus, bowhead whale and Atlantic puffin, provides “a rare snapshot of a vanished Arctic world”, according to scientists.