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Fossil insect evidence for the development of raised mire at Thorne Moors, near Doncaster

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Fossil insects contained within a monolith of peat taken from Thorne Moors, to the northeast of Doncaster, UK, were studied. The changing entomofauna demonstrates clearly the development of raised mire from fen woodland. Many of the trees emerging from the peat have been severely burnt and the role of fire in the destruction of the woodland is considered. A number of species recovered from the lower peats are now extinct in Britain; others have extremely limited distributions in Europe today.

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  1. Department of Archaeology and Prehistory, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, SE1 4ET, Sheffield, UK

    Tessa Roper

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Roper, T. Fossil insect evidence for the development of raised mire at Thorne Moors, near Doncaster. Biodivers Conserv 5, 503–521 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00056394

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