"Bones found in caves in North Yorkshire have dispelled myths about the extinction of a British hunting cat.
The discovery in Moughton Fell Fissure Cave, near Settle, in the 19th Century led experts to believe the lynx became extinct in the UK 4,000 years ago.
But new carbon dating of other bones found at Kinsey Cave in the 1920s and 30s suggests the animals were still around in early medieval times.
The findings have been described as of "national significance" by researchers.
Funded by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, carbon dating revealed the Kinsey Cave bones were only 1,500 years old, indicating that the lynx was hunted to extinction or lost its territory when farming intensified. (...)
The discovery in Moughton Fell Fissure Cave, near Settle, in the 19th Century led experts to believe the lynx became extinct in the UK 4,000 years ago.
But new carbon dating of other bones found at Kinsey Cave in the 1920s and 30s suggests the animals were still around in early medieval times.
The findings have been described as of "national significance" by researchers.
Funded by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, carbon dating revealed the Kinsey Cave bones were only 1,500 years old, indicating that the lynx was hunted to extinction or lost its territory when farming intensified. (...)
Conservation archaeologist Robert White said: "The findings do surprise us in that the lynx became extinct 2,500 years later than we thought. "
In BBC News: Full article
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