'Extraordinary' woolly rhino finds

Rhino quarry: The back end is still to be found

By Jonathan Amos BBC News Online science staff

The remains of four woolly rhinos have been unearthed in an English quarry.

Scientists describe the group find at Whitemoor Haye in Staffordshire as "extraordinary" and one of the best Ice Age discoveries of its type in Northern Europe in recent years.

In addition to the great beasts, researchers have also dug out a remarkable range of superbly preserved plants and insects. One of the rhinos even has plant material still stuck to its teeth, giving possible clues to its last meal.

Taken together, the specimens should enable archaeologists to build up a detailed picture of what life was like in this particular corner of the UK 30-50,000 years ago.

"We'll be able to piece together the whole Ice Age environment in that area by the banks of the River Trent," said Simon Buteux, director of the field archaeology unit at the University of Birmingham.

'Totally unexpected'

He told BBC News Online: "The plants in particular are beautifully preserved - they look as if they were buried last week quite frankly. And in amongst them are remains of beetles which are very sensitive to the climate, so this will give us good clues to what the local environment was back then."