Archaeologists report the discovery of two very small bird figurines dating to about 40,000 years ago at Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. The figures are carved from mammoth ivory and are described as thumbnail-sized, but with enough preserved detail to show recognizable bird features. The finds come from Aurignacian layers at the site, part of the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Swabian Jura. Researchers say the material and context link the carvings to some of the earliest known figurative art associated with the Upper Danube region and to the initial arrival of modern humans there. The team characterizes the figurines as among the smallest such depictions discovered at Hohle Fels so far, while noting that they still include multiple details despite their size. Overall, the reports frame the objects as evidence that early people produced representational art at fine scale during the Ice Age, adding to an existing record of animal imagery from the cave.