New records of postglacial walrus and a review of Quaternary marine mammals in New Brunswick

Authors

  • Randall F. Miller Natural Sciences Division, New Brunswick Museum, 277 Douglas Avenue, Saint John, New Brunswick E2K1E5, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4138/1695

Abstract

New records for postglacial walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, from New Brunswick raise the number of documented specimens in the province to nine. One of the previous reports was a tusk fragment, one was a partial cranium, one was an almost complete skeleton. Six new specimens are represented by partial or complete skulls. Three are from older collections of the New Brunswick Museum. Two of the most recent finds were dredged from the Bay of Fundy. Walrus form part of a small Quaternary marine mammal fauna in New Brunswick. Three species of whale, beluga, narwhal and minke (?), as well as harp (?) seal and walrus, have been reported over the past century. However, only walrus and narwhal can be confirmed by existing specimens. Marine mammal fossils from Quaternary deposits in New Brunswick demonstrate environmental requirements compatible with summer sea-surface temperatures postulated from earlier studies of littoral invertebrates. Radiocarbon dates associated with some of the marine mammals suggest they inhabited New Brunswick's coastal waters by at least 12,500 years B.P. RÉSUMÉ La mention de nouveaux spécimens du morse postglaciaire, Odobenus rosmarus, porte à neuf le nombre de ceux-ci connus au Nouveau-Bnmswick. Un fragment de défense, un cranium partiel ainsi qu'un squelette presque complet avaient déjà été mentionnés. Six nouveaux spécimens sont représented par des cranes plus ou moins complets. Trois d'entre eux provierment de vieilles collections du Musée du Nouveau-Bnmswick. Deux des trouvailles récentes furent draguées dans la baie de Fundy. Les morses font partie d'une faunule de mammifères marins quaternaires au Nouveau-Bnmswick. Trois espèces de baleine, des bélugas, des narvals et des balénoptères, ainsi que des phoques (du Greenland?) et des morses ont fait l'objet de mentions au cours du siecle dernier. Cependant, les spécimens en existence ne permettent de confirmer que les morses et les narvals. Les fossiles de mammifères marins des dépôts quaternaires du Nouveau-Bnmswick démontrent des besoins env iroraiemen-taux compatibles avec les températures estivales de la surface de la mer postulées à partir d'études antèrieures des invertébrés littoraux. Des datations radiochronologiques au C14 associées à certains des mammifères marins suggèrent qu'ils habitaient le littoral du Nouveau-Bnmswick il y a au moins 12,500 ans B.P. [Traduit par le journal]

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Published

1990-03-01

How to Cite

Miller, R. F. (1990). New records of postglacial walrus and a review of Quaternary marine mammals in New Brunswick. Atlantic Geoscience, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.4138/1695

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 1 (1990)

Section

Articles

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