Holocene bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) mortality patterns

• Main Authors: James M. Savelle, Arthur S. Dyke, Allen P. Mccartney
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2000
• Subjects: Arctic; Baleine; Canadian Arctic Archipelago; Arctic Archipelago; Arctique*; Balaena mysticetus; baleine boréale; bowhead whale; Climate change; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.495.988; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic53-4-414.pdf

ABSTRACT. Changes according to elevation in frequencies of naturally stranded bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) remains on Holocene beaches in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) closely parallel previously reported temporal changes in frequencies of independently radiocarbon-dated bowhead remains from these same beaches. Specifically, on the basis of emergence curves determined for 10 localities surveyed in the CAA, stranded whale remains tend to be relatively common in beaches dating to approximately 2500 –5500 B.P. and those older than 8000 B.P., but relatively rare in beaches dating to 0 –2500 B.P. and 5500 –8000 B.P. The former beaches apparently developed primarily during periods of relatively ice-free summer conditions, while the latter developed during periods of relatively pervasive summer sea ice that prevented bowheads from entering the region. Length-based mortality profiles of the stranded whale assemblages suggest that random processes, such as ice entrapment, were responsible for the death of most whales found on these beaches. Key words: bowhead whale, climate change, Holocene, mortality profiles, sea ice RÉSUMÉ. Des changements en fonction de l’altitude dans la fréquence de restes de baleines boréales (Balaena mysticetus) sur les plages de l’holocène situées dans l’archipel Arctique canadien (AAC) correspondent de près aux changements temporels rapportés précédemment dans la fréquence des restes de baleine boréale datés indépendamment au radiocarbone trouvés sur ces