Professor Danielle Schreve

They cover most of northern England. They just reached down into the northern coast of East Anglia. So if you can imagine a huge glacier, a huge ice sheet going pretty much all the way from East Yorkshire at an angle down to South Wales, that's the extent of the ice sheet and extending into the North Sea Basin beyond. And in front of that ice sheet, there would have been really a polar desert.

They cover most of northern England. They just reached down into the northern coast of East Anglia. So if you can imagine a huge glacier, a huge ice sheet going pretty much all the way from East Yorkshire at an angle down to South Wales, that's the extent of the ice sheet and extending into the North Sea Basin beyond. And in front of that ice sheet, there would have been really a polar desert.

So permafrost conditions, very, very cold indeed. Britain is connected to continental Europe at that time because sea level was much lower. That's because water is drawn off during the buildup of the ice sheets on land. There's evaporation of the water from the oceans, and sea levels fall by about 120 meters globally. That's more than enough to reconnect Britain to the continent.

So permafrost conditions, very, very cold indeed. Britain is connected to continental Europe at that time because sea level was much lower. That's because water is drawn off during the buildup of the ice sheets on land. There's evaporation of the water from the oceans, and sea levels fall by about 120 meters globally. That's more than enough to reconnect Britain to the continent.

So permafrost conditions, very, very cold indeed. Britain is connected to continental Europe at that time because sea level was much lower. That's because water is drawn off during the buildup of the ice sheets on land. There's evaporation of the water from the oceans, and sea levels fall by about 120 meters globally. That's more than enough to reconnect Britain to the continent.

So there is a land bridge in the southern part of the North Sea Basin. So it would be possible for species that were able to tolerate those conditions to move in and out, but it would have been a pretty inhospitable place.

So there is a land bridge in the southern part of the North Sea Basin. So it would be possible for species that were able to tolerate those conditions to move in and out, but it would have been a pretty inhospitable place.

So there is a land bridge in the southern part of the North Sea Basin. So it would be possible for species that were able to tolerate those conditions to move in and out, but it would have been a pretty inhospitable place.

There's a surprising number of species, I would say. I mean, biodiversity is, of course, much lower than you would find in many warmer climate periods. But nevertheless, we still get some smaller species around. So we find, for example, evidence of mountain hare. We also have remains of cold adapted species such as woolly mammoth. We have also reindeer around, for example.

There's a surprising number of species, I would say. I mean, biodiversity is, of course, much lower than you would find in many warmer climate periods. But nevertheless, we still get some smaller species around. So we find, for example, evidence of mountain hare. We also have remains of cold adapted species such as woolly mammoth. We have also reindeer around, for example.

There's a surprising number of species, I would say. I mean, biodiversity is, of course, much lower than you would find in many warmer climate periods. But nevertheless, we still get some smaller species around. So we find, for example, evidence of mountain hare. We also have remains of cold adapted species such as woolly mammoth. We have also reindeer around, for example.

But some of the most interesting remains that we've got are things like muskox, which are obviously obligate cold species. They live today up in the high Arctic. And yet they were living around, for example, Northamptonshire. We've got a series of muskox remains that are dated to about 20,000 years ago.

But some of the most interesting remains that we've got are things like muskox, which are obviously obligate cold species. They live today up in the high Arctic. And yet they were living around, for example, Northamptonshire. We've got a series of muskox remains that are dated to about 20,000 years ago.

But some of the most interesting remains that we've got are things like muskox, which are obviously obligate cold species. They live today up in the high Arctic. And yet they were living around, for example, Northamptonshire. We've got a series of muskox remains that are dated to about 20,000 years ago.

So that is a really, really clear indication of just how different conditions were on the ground at that time. Wow.

So that is a really, really clear indication of just how different conditions were on the ground at that time. Wow.

So that is a really, really clear indication of just how different conditions were on the ground at that time. Wow.

There's no unequivocal evidence of humans being present. So it's a tricky one because I think when you have certainly a period of very cold climate conditions, often it's hard for material to get preserved because just the cold and the action of ice sheets, it's not conducive to the preservation of fossil material.

There's no unequivocal evidence of humans being present. So it's a tricky one because I think when you have certainly a period of very cold climate conditions, often it's hard for material to get preserved because just the cold and the action of ice sheets, it's not conducive to the preservation of fossil material.

There's no unequivocal evidence of humans being present. So it's a tricky one because I think when you have certainly a period of very cold climate conditions, often it's hard for material to get preserved because just the cold and the action of ice sheets, it's not conducive to the preservation of fossil material.