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Wolverine in Northern England at About 83,000 yr B.P.: Faunal Evidence for Climatic Change during Isotope Stage 5

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Antony J. Sutcliffe ,
Thomas C. Lord ,
Russell S. Harmon ,
Miro Ivanovich ,
Angela Rae  and
John W. Hess
Antony J. Sutcliffe
Affiliation:
Department of Palaeontology, British Museum (Natural History), London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
Thomas C. Lord
Affiliation:
Pigyard Museum, Settle, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Russell S. Harmon
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275
Miro Ivanovich
Affiliation:
Uranium Series Disequilibrium Section, Nuclear Physics Division, AERE, Harwell 0X11 ORA, United Kingdom
Angela Rae
Affiliation:
School of Geography, Oxford University, Oxford 0X1 3PR and Uranium Series Disequilibrium Section, Nuclear Physics Division, AERE, Harwell 0X11 ORA, United Kingdom
John W. Hess
Affiliation:
Water Resources Center, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada 80109
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Abstract

Cave sediments from Stump Cross Cave in northern England contain Pleistocene mammal remains. Uranium-series dating of calcium carbonate deposits closely associated with the fossiliferous horizons has established an absolute age of 83,000 ± 6000 yr B.P. for a faunal assemblage largely comprised of wolverines (Gulo gulo). This date lies firmly within the younger portion of oxygen-isotope stage 5. The occurrence of wolverines in the vicinity of Stump Cross Cave at ca. 83,000 yr B.P. indicates a significant climatic deterioration from ca. 120,000 yr B.P., when an Ipswichian interglacial fauna with hippopotamus was present in this part of northern England.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , July 1985 , pp. 73 - 86
Copyright
University of Washington

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