In 1991, geologist Stein-Erik Lauritzen discovered a polar bear rib inside a cave near Kjøpsvik in northern Norway. What looked like a single ancient bone eventually led researchers to a much larger discovery.
More than three decades later, researchers examined over 6,000 bone fragments from the cave system, combining traditional identification with ancient DNA and several dating methods. The results revealed evidence of a diverse Arctic animal community that existed during a relatively mild period of the last glacial era, as per a Science Blog report.
