A palaeontologist who has unearthed thousands of Ice Age remains just outside Wells will be the guest speaker at a special launch event for this year's Wells Festival of Literature.

Professor Danielle Schreve, from the University of Bristol, will speak about her team's long-running excavation at Gully Cave in Ebbor Gorge, which has revealed the remains of animals including woolly rhinoceros, reindeer, brown bear and spotted hyaena.

Her talk, titled In the depths!, will explore how these discoveries help scientists understand the effects of climate change over time – particularly how species adapted, migrated or became extinct as their environments rapidly shifted. The remains are thought to date back around 70,000 years.

The event takes place on 8 July at Cedars Hall and is open to Friends of the Festival only. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to sign up for membership now to receive an invitation.

In addition to access to the launch, Friends can also book Festival tickets a week in advance of general release and receive a discount, with tickets priced at £10 instead of the usual £12.50.

Full details and how to become a Friend can be found on the Wells Festival of Literature website.