A near-continuous record of more than 10,000 years of environmental change that could help understanding of climate change has been found in a Banffshire bog.
The research at Reidside Moss between Banff and Huntly was carried out by Sophie Bigg, a geography student at St Andrews University.
"Below the bog's surface is a layer-cake of peat and sediments from which it built up, " said Ms Bigg. "I identified microscopic fossil pollen grains in each layer, which represent the vegetation of the bog area at a unique point in time. The oldest sediments were laid down maybe 15,000 years ago, after ice sheets had melted across the Banffshire tundra."
Dr Peter Cundill, of St Andrews University said:
"Each bog tells us about the local area, but by combining studies we can build up a picture of how Scotland's environment has developed over thousands of years."
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