Mystery of the Maritimes Walrus
The walrus that thrived on the East coast of Canada until a few hundred years ago were distinct from modern Atlantic walrus. The Atlantic species of walrus is found in the Arctic today, having arrived there as glacial ice receded about 10-thousand years ago. But 12 to 13-thousand years ago, walrus were common to the Bay of Fundy, the Grand Banks and the coast of Labrador. As recently as the 17th century, the walrus population on Canada's east coast was over 100,000. But the walrus was hunted for its ivory tusks, its hide and its blubber; and in just over 100 years, the population was reduced to zero. Now, new research by Dr. Brenna McLeod, a research associate at St. Mary's University in Halifax and the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, has found that the Maritimes walrus was different from other Atlantic walrus. Analysis of specimens gathered in the region indicate that it was larger, more robust and had a slightly different shaped skull than those found in the Arctic today.
Related Links
- Paper in PLOS One