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Lab number
Beta-18129
Field number
86-DCA-406
Material dated
bear bone collagen; collagène osseux d' ours
Taxa dated
Ursus maritimus canine tooth (CMN-43803)
Locality
19 km north-northeast of Cape Richard Collinson, M'Clintock Channel, 2.4 km inland on westernmost Prince of Wales Island, Nunavut
Map sheet
68 B/14
Submitter
C.R. Harington
Date submitted
August 21, 0098
Measured Age
1975 ± 120
Normalized Age
2135 ± 120
δ13C (per mil)
-15.0
Significance
palaeobiology; paléobiologie
Context
raised beach overlooking M'Clintock Channel, 64 m asl
Associated taxa
Mammalia: Ursus maritimus
Comments
PfLt-VP: This is the only find of polar bear bones, other than at modern sea level or near an archaelogical site, in 3 field sessions of extensive ground traversing on Prince of Wales Island. The bones "looked old" and are worth dating on the speculation that the bear died on the beach or on sea ice. Polar bear canines were still in their sockets, but bone was not well preserved. Several other bones were scattered about an area of 100 metre radius; these were not collected. A preliminary emergence curve for this part of Prince of Wales Island places relative sea level at >64 metres at 8.5 ka BP. Driftwood from 58.5 metres was dated to 8230 +/- 110 (GSC-3936); bowhead rib at 58 metres was dated 8875 +/- 135 (S-2588); bowhead rib at 66 metres was dated 9605 +/- 140 (S-2590). Deglaciation of the site occurred around 11,000 BP.

References