Ancient Greenlanders hunted huge whales — and little reindeer
Early inhabitants of Greenland hunted more than 40 animal species, including some of the largest whales on Earth and a petite, now-extinct reindeer subspecies, according to DNA analysis1.
Scientists have long assumed that the Saqqaq, Norse and Thule people of Greenland relied on fish and whales as resources. However, little is known about which species they hunted. Researchers often identify animals eaten in the past by studying the shapes of bones found at archaeological sites, but intact fish and whale remains are rare.
Frederik Seersholm at the University of Copenhagen and his colleagues examined DNA from 2,500 bone fragments collected at 12 archaeological sites across Greenland. Analysis of the bones’ DNA identified 41 animal species. Among these were nine fish species, four of which had never been identified at these locations before. Five whale species were also present, the most common of which was the bowhead (Balaena mysticetus).
The team also showed that miniature reindeer (also known as caribou) whose bones had previously been discovered at one site were genetically distinct from modern reindeer — and were probably members of a now-extinct subspecies that included Greenland’s first reindeer.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-03225-2
References
Seersholm, F. V. et al. Nature Hum. Behav. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z (2022).
