Wild brown bears thought to have died out in the Bronze Age may have roamed Britain 1,500 years ago
Wild brown bears may still have roamed Britain during the early middle ages around 1,500 years ago, according to a bone discovered in a cave in Yorkshire.
Until now, it was thought the wild brown bear (Ursus arctos) went extinct in Britain around 2,800 years ago, in the height of the Bronze Age.
Despite this, Britain's largest carnivore could be seen during Roman times, however, researchers believe these animals were almost certainly imported for entertainment.
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Wild brown bears may still have roamed Britain during the early middle ages around 1,500 years ago, according to a bone found in a cave in Yorkshire (stock image)
'The brown bear was Britain's largest carnivore, yet we know surprisingly little about its history, both as a wild animal and in its relation to humans', said lead researcher Dr Hannah O'Regan of the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Nottingham
'The latest date we have is from around 425AD to 594AD,' she told MailOnline.
Scientists unearthed a brown bear neck bone in a cave in the Yorkshire dales, which they now believe is likely to have come from a wild animal.
'However, this is an isolated case and we'd like to do some DNA analysis to confirm this,' Dr O'Regan added.
According to the researchers, there is a small chance this newly-discovered bone sample could have originated from a descendant of bears imported into Britain by the Romans.
If this does prove to be the case, the only alternative conclusion is that brown bears native to Britain died out during the bronze age around 2,800 years ago.
This conclusion is based on a bone sample radiocarbon dated to 969 - 776 BC as part of a study into the species back in 1975.
The remains of brown bears in Britain range from full skeletons, to isolated toes or claws, discovered in a range of the sites from caves to human cremations.
Researchers used this evidence to work out when the bear became extinct and when they were imported from other countries.
Although bears were present during Roman times they were almost certainly imported for entertainment, the study found. Pictured is a jaw bone from the Roman times
These creatures were once widespread across Britain, but populations started to decline following the last Ice Age.
Numbers dropped again during the Stone Age, researchers found, falling to very low numbers in the Iron Age.
Although the brown bear population did increase during Roman times, this was likely due to the number of animals being imported in the country for entertainment.
Later, during Anglo-Saxon times, bear claws were used in cremation ceremonies, with claws found in urns. Bear skins were also used during the ceremony.
Likewise, in the Viking Age large ornately-carved stones called hogbacks, which were used to mark graves, also featured bears, albeit in carved images.
'Most of the remains that have been discovered from the Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon (early medieval) periods relate to skins that were included in burials,' Dr O'Regan said.
Researchers found that while there were live animals present during the Roman, medieval and post-medieval periods, these were most certainly imported, rather than native animals.
Determining whether the animals were wild is not straight forward, particularly when dealing with the brown bear as furs and live animals were moved and traded over huge distance throughout history.
In March it was revealed these large predators could be making a comeback to English woods. Pictured is an artist's impression of the project which aims to see the bears living in a seven and a half acre site
There are 57 sites across Britain where clear dates for the remains have been able to be determined, however, researchers have pinpointed an additional 25 possible sites with remains that could indicate the presence of wild bears after the last Ice Age.
'We don't know whether there are later bears but they haven't been studied yet', Dr O'Regan said.
'At present the question of when and why the brown bear became extinct is impossible to answer, as there is still much that we don't know about its distribution.'
COULD BROWN BEARS BE REINTRODUCED INTO BRITAIN? In March it was revealed brown bears could be making a comeback to English woods. A £5 million ($6.6bn) project aims to reintroduce the animals to a seven-acre site on the outskirts of Bristol – complete with a treetop walkway for visitors to look down on them. The scheme, called Bear Wood, would see Eurasian brown bears – which can grow up to 8ft tall – rearing their cubs exactly as they did in medieval England. But the creatures would not be left to roam totally wild – they will be safely fenced in and keepers would supplement their foraged diet to keep them well-fed. The project could begin in the summer if approved. Bristol Zoological Society has already received donations towards the cost of the project, but it needs to find an extra £2 million ($2.6m). All of the buildings will be constructed to blend in with their surroundings, Bristol Zoo said. And if the plan was not already ambitious enough, five European grey wolves, already at nearby conservation park Wild Place Project, will be moved to a new home in Bear Wood.
Earlier this year, it was revealed brown bears – the largest predator native to Britain – could be making a comeback to English woods.
A £5 million ($6.6bn) project aims to reintroduce the animals to a seven-acre site on the outskirts of Bristol – complete with a treetop walkway for visitors to look down on them.
The scheme, called Bear Wood, would see Eurasian brown bears – which can grow up to 8ft tall – rearing their cubs exactly as they did in medieval England.
But the creatures would not be left to roam totally wild – they will be safely fenced in and keepers would supplement their foraged diet to keep them well-fed.