Walrus Skull
Dr. Henry N. Payne Community Museum
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| Nom de l'objet : | Walrus Skull |
| Catégorie de l'objet : | Natural History |
| Sous-catégorie de l'objet : | Biology |
| Discipline : | mammology |
| Matériaux : | bone |
| Numéro d'accession : | 2003.6.1 |
| Continent d'origine : | North America |
| Date de fin de production : | c 1300 |
| Période : | Early 14th century |
| Description : | The white skull is of a female Atlantic walrus, and measures 33cm long, 25 wide and 18 high. The cranium is essentially intact. The lower jaw is missing and the tusks are badly worn. Above the right tusk there is a hole in the bone, likely due to an abscess which may have caused the animal's death. Muscle scars at the back of the skull are indicative of the animal's powerful neck muscles. Over time, some discoloration has occurred due to the growth of marine algae, while chips of bone have been lost in the course of the skull's handling. |
| Commentaires : | The skull was found on Cow Head beach in 1993; it had been buried in marine sediments but was exposed and washed ashore. Carbon 14 dating was performed by the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, and the skull was found to have been approximately 700 years old. The worn tusks and premolars indicate that the animal was likely quite old when she died. It is likely that she died as a result of an infection, as there is evidence of a large abscess above the right tusk. Remains of Atlantic walruses have frequently been found along the west coast of Newfoundland, some dating to the end of the last ice age, approximately 12,000 years ago. They disappeared at some point in the 1700s, possibly as a result of over-hunting, though the oral tradition in the area contains no references to hunting walrus. In the nineteenth century, fishermen in Cow Head often used walrus tusks " likely uncovered in much the same way as this skull " as oarlocks on their boats. |
| Hauteur : | 18 |
| Longueur : | 33 |
| Largeur : | 25 |
| Unité de mesure linéaire : | cm |
| Nombre d'objets : | 1 |
| Nombre de parties composantes : | 1 |
| Nom des parties composantes : | skull |
| Établissement : |
Dr. Henry N. Payne Community Museum
 Facebook-Dr. Henry N. Payne Community Museum
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| Ville de l'établissement : | Cow Head |
| Province de l'établissement : | Newfoundland and Labrador |
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