It’s in Their Bones: 2000 Years of Pacific Walrus Adaptability and Resilience

One of the many species affected by climate change in the Arctic, and receiving attention from the general public, is the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). Walruses are of critical importance to subsistence consumers in Alaska (and other Arctic regions) both for practical, financial reasons as well as cultural ones. Despite the quality data from in-depth studies of Pacific walruses over the last 40-50 years, it is difficult to implement proposed co-management and conservation plans based on data from such a relatively short time span; much less to project the impact of further changes to the Arctic ecosystem on both walruses and humans subsisting on them. We are presenting the first data from our project, integrating several disciplines including archaeology, ethnology, biology, and ecology utilizing proxy data, such as DNA, stable isotope (SI), steroid hormones, and trace element analysis as well as ascertain long-term trends of walrus feeding ecology, foraging location, and stock genetics over the last 2000 years. Each set of proxy data acts as a building block to better understand walruses, and how they adapt to change in the Arctic ecosystem.

Our preliminary data show that steroid hormone levels change during some decades, including most recently, compared with prehistoric levels and might be associated with walrus population size. SI has revealed several shifts in feeding habits; the last 5 years are significantly different from the historic time periods as well as the prehistoric time frame. Both SI and hormone data are corroborated by traditional ecological knowledge.