An international group of researchers examined beluga whale bones found at archaeological sites in the Mackenzie Delta, located in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Their goal was to gain insights into the sustainability of the Inuvialuit people’s reliance on beluga whale hunting over the centuries.
An international group of researchers, spearheaded by scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Toronto, studied beluga whale bones found at archaeological sites in the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada, to explore the sustainability of the Inuvialuit’s long-standing subsistence hunting of beluga whales.
‘For over 800 years, since the arrival of Inuvialuit ancestors in the Mackenzie Delta, beluga whales have played a crucial role in their culture and livelihood,’ commented Professor Max Friesen, an archaeologist and co-senior author from the University of Toronto.
‘Despite this significance, we know very little about how centuries of consistent hunting have affected the beluga populations.’
The researchers utilized paleogenomics, genetic simulations, and stable isotope analysis on 45 zooarchaeological beluga samples. They compared these results with modern data collected from tissue samples taken by Inuvialuit hunters during their harvests to assess the influence of 700 years of hunting on the genetic diversity, population structure, and foraging behavior of belugas.
‘Our analysis showed no significant alterations in genetic diversity or population structure over time, indicating a stable population,’ noted Mikkel Skovrind, a Postdoc at the Globe Institute of the University of Copenhagen and the lead author of the study.
‘These results imply that Inuvialuit hunting practices have had a minimal effect on the genetic diversity of the current Mackenzie beluga populations.’
The team employed genomic techniques to determine the sex of the belugas and recorded notable changes in the ratio of male to female whales harvested throughout history, hinting at past shifts in Inuvialuit resource management.
‘The stable isotope analysis revealed concurrent changes in the feeding ecology of female and male belugas, possibly indicating shifts in beluga behavior or alterations in regional ecosystems over time,’ stated Professor Eline Lorenzen, a palaeogeneticist and co-senior author of the research.
‘This study underscores the value of integrating genomic sex identification and isotope analysis of zooarchaeological samples to enhance our comprehension of historical hunting habits and animal ecologies.’