The Late Wisconsinan and Holocene record of walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) from North America: A review with new data from Arctic and Atlantic Canada

The Late Wisconsinan and Holocene record of the Atlantic walrus is known fr om numerous collections of bones and tusks from Arctic Canada and south to North Carolina, as well as from many archaeological sites: in the Arctic an d Subarctic. In contrast, the Pacific walrus has no dated Late Wisconsinan or early Holocene record in North America, and it may have been displaced i nto the northwest Pacific at Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The Atlantic walru s rapidly exploited newly deglaciated territory, moving northward from its LGM refugium and reaching the Bay of Fundy by 12800 B.P., the Grand Banks b y 12500 B.P., southern Labrador by 11 500 B.P., and the central Canadian Ar ctic Archipelago (CAA) by 9700 B.P. Its southern range limit may have retra cted to the Bay of Fundy by ca. 7500 B.P. Within the CAA, walrus remains cl uster in two main age groups: 9700 to 8500 B.P. and 5000 to 4/3000 B.P, Thi s pattern strongly resembles the distribution of bowhead whale radiocarbon ages from the same area, which suggests a common control by sea-ice conditi ons. Walrus remains occur in Indian culture archaeological sites as old as 7500 B.P. and, in some cases (Namu, British Columbia, and Mackinac Island, Michi gan), they evidently represent long-distance human transport.. They are muc h more common in Paleoeskimo and Neoeskimo culture sites, However, they occ ur in very low abundances, and generally as debitage, in sites order than D orset (2500 B.P.). The walrus, therefore, may not have been hunted by early Paleoeskimos. Beginning with Early Dorset, walrus remains occur in definit e diet-related contexts. Middle Dorset (2300 to 1500 B.P.) and late Thule ( <400 B.P.) sites are missing from the High Arctic, and there may be a simil ar gap in the middle Pre-Dorset (3400 to 2600 B.P.). Sea-ice conditions at these times may have adversely affected availability of walrus and other ma rine mammal resources. Walrus is a prominent faunal element in Middle Dorse t sites on the Labrador coast; this is consistent with a southward displace ment of people and resources.