Remains of extinct Bronze Age cattle found in cave
Researchers working with cave explorers uncovered the remnants of an auroch while surveying a number of caverns and sinkholes near Ingleborough.
The team also found evidence of the area being used as a human burial site during the Neolithic period.
A spokesperson said the discoveries had helped shed light on how the caves were used by those who lived and farmed in the Dales prehistory.
Aurochs were once found across Europe before habitat loss and hunting wiped them out in the 17th Century. They are regraded as the wild ancestor of modern cattle.
The Ingleborough Cave Archaeology Project is part of a £3m scheme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aimed at securing the future of upland commons in the Yorkshire Dales, Dartmoor, the Lake District and the Shropshire Hills.
It highlighted the important role cavers play in uncovering underground history, with some of the chosen cave sites requiring specialist skills to access.
Rick Peterson, a caving archaeologist at the University of Central Lancashire said: "It's often experienced local cavers who are the first to encounter archaeological finds such as these as they are the only ones who can access the caves.
"This partnership now ensures that any discoveries made during recreational caving are officially documented."
As well as examining the history of Ingleborough, the project also looked at ways to engage today's farmers in sustainable and adaptive land management practices.
Ingleborough is one of the few places in England where "commoning" traditions remain with around a dozen farmers still grazing sheep on the land under rights dating back to the Magna Carta.
Project officer Claire Braeburn said: "Ingleborough has a longstanding history as common land, so we wanted to see if the caves held evidence of just how long humans began farming on the fell.
"Over half of England was common land, but now it's just 3%. This project has helped us understand more about human interaction with the common and the land's longstanding biodiversity.
"It has shown how important preserving these ancient practices is or we risk losing them forever."
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Related Internet links
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Neolithic burial chambers granted protected status
'Extinct' giant cattle could be introduced to Highland estate
Estuary fishermen find 3,500-year-old horn
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