© Trond Klungseth Lodoen/Bournemouth University/PA WireThe sediment profile in Arne Qvamgrotta after excavation.
A remarkable discovery in northern
Norway has uncovered the
remains of 46 species from the last Ice Age — from reindeer and Arctic foxes to whales and seabirds — preserved for 75,000 years inside a mountain cave.A cave near Kjøpsvik in the municipality of Narvik, northern Norway, has yielded one of the most extraordinary Ice Age
fossil finds in Europe. Deep inside the Arne Qvam Cave, scientists uncovered thousands of fragmented bones from animals that once lived there 75,000 years ago — offering a detailed glimpse into a cold, coastal Arctic ecosystem long before the last glaciers reached their maximum.
The research, published in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveals
a rare and rich mix of mammals, birds, and fish, making it the oldest preserved faunal assemblage ever found in the European Arctic."Unique, even by global standards" "This is extremely rare and valuable," says Sanne Boessenkool, professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Oslo and co-author of the study. "Most traces of Ice Age life in
Scandinavia were wiped away when glaciers advanced and stripped the land bare. These cave sediments are a remarkable exception."
Altogether, the researchers identified 46 animal taxa: 23 bird species, 13 mammals, 10 kinds of fish, and a handful of marine invertebrates and plant remains. Such a broad range of fauna from one Ice Age deposit has never before been found in Scandinavia.
"It's unique, even by global standards," Boessenkool says.
© Walker et al. (2025), PNASDiagram showing the variety of animal species identified from bones found in the Arne Qvam Cave, Northern Norway. The chart illustrates relationships among mammals, birds, and fish discovered in the 75,000-year-old deposits. Species were identified using bone analysis and ancient DNA techniques.
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