The marmot tooth has not been dated but the other vertebrate bones in the cave appear to be ancient. The Weymer Creek and Nimpkish Lake caves are interesting because they are more than a hundred kilometres north of any active marmot colony or historical record and are situated in low elevation forest far from any open subalpine habitat. The Vancouver Island Marmot may have been widespread then, living at low elevations across the island. It only retreated to the mountain tops when the climate moderated 9,000-10,000 years ago and low elevations were covered by forest. Pollen grains recovered from sediments in the Nimpkish Lake cave will provide invaluable data for reconstructing climatic and vegetational changes at this site over the past 12,000 years.
Many questions remain.
More marmot bones are undoubtedly sitting in caves on Vancouver Island waiting to be discovered. They may provide vital clues to explain these important questions. Nagorsen, D. W. 1995. More cave bones. Nagorsen, D. W., G. Keddie, and R. J. Hebda.