What the mystery of 4,000 year old beetles found near Peterborough tells us about climate change

The two beetles: Picture from the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

The oak capricorn beetles (Cerambyx) were found in a piece of wood that had been submerged in a peat bog in Ramsey Heights near Peterborough. It was found by a farmer in the 1970s and donated to the Natural History Museum in London.

Experts were baffled by the discovery at the time, as it was thought the species never existed in the UK.

But it is now believed they were endemic in the UK, but died out as the climate cooled

Now, because of the way the temperatures are climbing as a result of climate change, it is possible the creatures could make a come back to our shores.

The finds were kept in storage at the museum - but were recently re-discovered, giving specialists the chance to examine them in more detail.

Tiny samples of both the beetles and wood were recently sent off for radiocarbon dating, which placed their age at 3,785 years old.

Max Barclay, Curator of Beetles at the Museum, said: “These beetles are older than the Tudors, older than the Roman occupation of Britain, even older than the Roman Empire. These beetles were alive and chewing the inside of that piece of wood when the pharaohs were building the pyramids in Egypt. It is tremendously exciting.”

He believes oak capricorn beetles which exist today in southern and central Europe may have died out in Britain due to climate change.

He said; “This is a beetle that is associated with warmer climates. Possibly it existed in Britain 4,000 years ago because the climate was warmer, and as the climate cooled and the habitats destroyed, it became extinct.

“Now, with global warming, there are indications that it could return to Britain in the future.

“It is quite extraordinary to hold something in your hand that looks like it was collected yesterday but is actually several millennia old and can provide new insight into the weather and forest conditions in the Late Bronze Age. This pair of beetles provide a window into the ancient past and as well as hinting at what climate change holds for the future.”