Polar Bear and Mammoth on the Pribilof Islands

Museum specimens of polar bear from the Pribilof Islands include the skull of an individual shot on St. Paul, and fragmentary remains of uncertain geologic age from a lava cave in Bogoslof Hill, St. Paul, once thought to represent a distinct species. Mammoth remains have been discovered from time to...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:ARCTIC
Main Author: Ray, Clayton E.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 1971
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/66160
Description
Summary:Museum specimens of polar bear from the Pribilof Islands include the skull of an individual shot on St. Paul, and fragmentary remains of uncertain geologic age from a lava cave in Bogoslof Hill, St. Paul, once thought to represent a distinct species. Mammoth remains have been discovered from time to time beginning in 1836, and are here regarded as in part valid evidence that the mammoth actually lived in the area. The literature pertaining to these species on the Pribilof Islands is reviewed. L’ours polaire et le mammoth dans les Pribilof. (Au musée Smithsonian) Les spécimens d’ours polaire des îles de Pribilof comprenent le crâne d’un individu abattu sur l’île Saint-Paul, et des restes fragmentaires, d’âge géologique incertain, provenant d’une caverne dans les laves du mont Bogoslof, sur Saint-Paul, et qu’on a déjà cru représenter une espèce distincte. On a découvert de temps à autre, depuis 1836, des restes de mammouth, et l’auteur les considère comme une preuve partielle valide que le mammouth a vraiment vécu dans la région. On passe en revue les références pertinentes à ces deux espèces pour les Pribilof.