Leeds Conserves Remains of Ice Age Predators

Ancient animals that once roamed the UK are being preserved in Leeds

Leeds is home to a significant collection of prehistoric animal remains from the Ice Age, also known as the Pleistocene era, which lasted from around 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago. Experts at Leeds Discovery Centre are currently undertaking conservation and cataloguing work on these fossils, which include some of the UK’s most fearsome ancient predators.

Collection Includes Extinct Brown Bear and Other Megafauna

Among the notable specimens is the skull of a large extinct brown bear excavated from an Irish cave in the 1860s. This skull is part of a broader collection that also features the tooth of a wolf found in Kents Cavern, Torquay, a site known for prehistoric mammal remains and evidence of Neanderthal humans.

Additionally, the collection holds teeth and a jawbone from a cave hyena discovered in Kirkdale Cave, North Yorkshire. Cave hyenas were apex predators across Europe, preying on large mammals such as deer and wild horses.

Other Ancient Species in the Collection

• A gigantic tooth from a megalodon shark, which lived in waters around the UK approximately 23 million to 3.58 million years ago and could grow up to 80 feet long.
• The skull of a giant Irish elk.
• A mammoth tusk and tooth.

Significance of the Collection

Clare Brown, curator of natural sciences at Leeds Museums and Galleries, highlighted the importance of these fossils in understanding the history of the UK’s wildlife. She noted that these animals once inhabited the same areas as modern humans and that their remains provide valuable insights into evolution, extinction, and the effects of climate change and human activity over hundreds of thousands of years.

Public Access and Preservation Efforts

The collection is housed at Leeds Discovery Centre, where it forms part of more than a million objects stored at the facility. The centre offers regular store tours, allowing visitors to view these ancient specimens. Leeds City Council emphasises the importance of preserving these relics for educational purposes and to inspire future generations.

Leeds Discovery Centre operates as a “Give What You Can” museum, inviting visitors to make voluntary donations to support its work. Donations can be made online when booking tours or in person at the centre’s reception.

For more information and to book a tour, visit the Leeds Discovery Centre website.