{"id":2543,"date":"2025-09-16T10:47:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T09:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/?p=2543"},"modified":"2025-09-17T09:09:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:09:44","slug":"analysing-the-ice-age-fossils-of-westbury-cave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/analysing-the-ice-age-fossils-of-westbury-cave\/","title":{"rendered":"Analysing the Ice Age fossils of Westbury Cave"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Careful sorting and analysis of mammal fossils from a rare cave system have given University of Reading and Natural History Museum (NHM) scientists the opportunity to fill in missing gaps in the British fossil record. <\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Beneath Somerset\u2019s rolling Mendip Hills lies Westbury Cave, a treasure trove of important animal fossils and bone fragments spanning ages from approximately 500,000 years ago to over 1 million years ago \u2013 including specimens that could fill in crucial gaps in the fossil record.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In 2024, Neil Adams (Curator of Fossil Mammals at NHM) and Juliette Kent, Hester Crothers and Rob Batchelor of the University\u2019s Quaternary Scientific (QUEST) labs set out to process 78kg of samples collected in the field. Kent, a professional placement student with QUEST, received training and support from both NHM and University of Reading to develop her practical skills and knowledge in identifying and analysing these fossils. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Among the samples were rare \u2018star specimens\u2019 of an extinct grassland vole (<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Allophaiomys<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">) which are only the third and fourth examples of the genus found across all of Britain, as well as rare molar teeth of an archaic water vole named <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Mimomys. <\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These specimens may help scientists to more accurately date this and other UK cave sites through biochronology and understanding more about how these mammal species adapted to climate changes. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One key outcome of this study was the development of an undergraduate practical class that formed part of the second-year module in Palaeobiology, providing valuable experience for students and enabling up to 150 hours of additional residue sorting.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At the University\u2019s Community Festival 2025, the project team was present with an interactive activity that let visitors try out sifting through sediments to uncover the ancient remains within. The stand proved hugely popular and offered plenty of inspiration for the next generation of paleobiologists.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_images_carousel images=&#8221;2552,2551,2550,2549,2548&#8243; img_size=&#8221;large&#8221; autoplay=&#8221;yes&#8221; wrap=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<strong>Published September 2025<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Careful sorting and analysis of mammal bones and teeth from a rare cave system have given scientists the opportunity to fill in missing gaps in the British fossil record.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":969,"featured_media":2553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[294,32,205,267],"coauthors":[304],"class_list":["post-2543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heritage-creativity","tag-294","tag-archaeology","tag-external-collaboration-and-partnerships","tag-heritage-creativity"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8.1 - 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