Remains of woolly mammoth found on Devon building site

Bones of ice age mammoth, bison, rhinoceros, wolf and hyena uncovered by digger on outskirts of Plymouth

The remains of a woolly mammoth, rhinoceros, bison, wolf and hyena have been found in a cave system uncovered by a digger during the building of a new town in the south-west of England.

Experts said the find at Sherford, a 5,500-home development on the outskirts of Plymouth, was exceptional" and gave an astonishing glimpse into the megafauna that roamed what is now Devon between 30,000 and 60,000 years ago.

Partial remains of a woolly mammoth, including a tusk, molar tooth and other bones

Partial remains of a woolly rhinoceros, including an incomplete skull and lower jaw

A virtually complete wolf skeleton

Partial remains of hyena, horse, reindeer, mountain hare and red fox

Bones of various small mammals such as bats and shrews. It is anticipated that further bones of small mammals will be identified during post-excavation laboratory analysis.