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Welcome to Exploring Objects. Here you can explore the rich collection of objects that have been unearthed from the Creswell Heritage Area. To find an object, type in the words that best describe what you are looking for and click ‘Search’
Lower jaw of arctic lemming from Pin Hole. Last Ice Age
This lower jaw from an arctic lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus) was excavated from Pin Hole in 1984. The large accumulations of small mammals, such as lemmings, within caves deposits is probably due to the activities of birds of prey, such as the snowy owl, who regurgitated pellets onto the cave floor.
The arctic or collared lemming is a common species of cold stage small mammal faunas in the Late Pleistocene. They are particularly abundant right at the end of the Pleistocene in deposits with radiocarbon dates of a little over 10,000 years ago. Arctic lemming is now found living in burrows below the snow in the arctic regions from Scandinavia to eastern Canada and their abundance at the end of the Pleistocene is probably linked to extensive soft snow cover at this time.
Glossary: Glacial, Ice Age, Interglacial, Pleistocene, Radiocarbon, Radiocarbon dates
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