A PREHISTORIC BREEDING POPULATION OF HARP SEALS (PHOCA GROENLANDICA) IN THE BALTIC SEA

The pelagic and gregarious, low Arctic harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) is the most common seal species in most refuse faunas from coastal hunter-gatherer sites dating from the late Atlantic to the early Subboreal period (ca. 4000–2000 cal B.C.) in the Baltic Sea. Our main objective was to examine the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Per G. P. Ericson
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
Key words
Baltic Sea
harp seal
Phoca groenlandica
subboreal
Mesolithic
Neolithic. Three species of seal inhabit the Baltic Sea today
the gray seal (Halichoerus grypus
Arctic
common seal
Harp Seal
North Atlantic
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.515.1297
http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e1d3ca810c24ddc70380001172/Stora-Ericson%20MMSc[1].pdf
Description
Summary:The pelagic and gregarious, low Arctic harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) is the most common seal species in most refuse faunas from coastal hunter-gatherer sites dating from the late Atlantic to the early Subboreal period (ca. 4000–2000 cal B.C.) in the Baltic Sea. Our main objective was to examine the migration contra breeding pop-ulation hypotheses regarding the Baltic harp seals. Analyses of epiphyseal fusion data and osteometry of archeological harp seal remains from 25 dwelling-sites suggest that a local breeding population established itself in the early Subboreal period. In the Middle Neolithic the rookery possibly was situated in the Baltic proper, south of Åland and west of Gotland. The mean adult size of the Baltic harp seals decreased, suggesting minimal genetic exchange with the north Atlantic Ocean population. Genetic drift, interspecific competition, and over-hunting by humans are all factors likely to have contributed to the eventual extinction of harp seals in the Baltic Sea.

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