Ice age – over 30 animal species discovered in a Norwegian cave

In a cave located near the village of Kjøpsvik in northern Norway, scientists have come across the oldest known assemblage of animal remains in the European Arctic. According to the researchers, this discovery will enhance our understanding of the Ice Age and shed light on how fauna adapted to climate change.

A unique trace of an ancient ecosystem

Details of the groundbreaking discovery made in the Arne Qvamgrotta cave, part of the Storsteinhola cave system, were published on August 4 in the journal PNAS. One of the study’s authors, Sanne Boessenkool from the University of Oslo, explains that the cave yielded remains of animals linked to a coastal ecosystem, encompassing both terrestrial and marine species. Their age is estimated at around 75,000 years, which is unusual, as most paleontological records consist of remains younger than 10,000 years.

We have very little evidence of what life in the Arctic looked like at that time, admits Boessenkool. Co-author Sam Walker from Bournemouth University adds that such finds provide a unique glimpse into a lost Arctic world.

The researchers identified a total of 33 glacial species, including 23 bird taxa, 13 mammal taxa, and 10 fish. Some of these had never before been recorded in Fennoscandia, which further raises the significance of the discovery.

Among the birds identified were auks, ducks, ravens, buzzards, finches, cranes, and even rock ptarmigans. The mammal remains belonged to hares, polar bears, Arctic foxes, grey wolves, as well as marine species such as blue whales, porpoises, walruses, and seals. The scientists were also surprised to discover bones of collared lemmings – small rodents from the vole family that are now extinct in Europe.

The ice age under the microscope

According to the research team, such a high diversity of species in a single location indicates that 75,000 years ago this area was free of ice. The presence of freshwater fish remains suggests there were rivers and lakes nearby. The authors note that this was a warmer period within the last glaciation – a time when fauna could benefit from milder conditions.

However, this favorable period did not last long. The glaciers returned, and many species were unable to migrate to warmer regions. As a result, many went extinct.

The Ice Age, which lasted from about 118,000 to 11,700 years ago, brought sweeping changes to the animal world. Extreme climate fluctuations caused glaciers to advance and retreat, sea levels to rise and fall, and sea ice extent to shift. During warmer phases, hippos and lions roamed as far as present-day Britain; in colder phases, northern Europe became almost entirely inhospitable.

Why is this discovery important?

Sam Walker emphasizes that the latest research shows how difficult it was for species adapted to Arctic cold to cope with climate change. He believes these findings may be crucial in assessing the resilience of today’s Arctic fauna to current, much faster environmental changes. Habitat fragmentation further complicates migration to areas with more favorable conditions.

It’s important to remember that this was a shift toward a colder climate, not the warming we’re experiencing today, adds Sanne Boessenkool. If cold-adapted species struggled so much with cooling, they may face even greater challenges adapting to warming.

Paradoxically, in an era of global climate warming, the Ice Age may hold the key for scientists to better understand the ecological changes still to come.

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Source:

S.J. Walker,A. Boilard,M. Henriksen,E. Lord,M. Robu,J. Buylaert,L.M.T. Beijersbergen,L.S. Halvorsen,A.M. Cintrón-Santiago,E.K. Onshuus,C.A. Cockerill,G. Ujvari,L. Palcsu,M. Temovski,J. Maccali,H. Linge,J. Olsen,S. Aksnes,A. Bertheussen, […] & S. Boessenkool, A 75,000-y-old Scandinavian Arctic cave deposit reveals past faunal diversity and paleoenvironment, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 122 (32) e2415008122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2415008122 (2025)