Elucidating the sustainability of 700 y of Inuvialuit beluga whale hunting in the Mackenzie River Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada
Skovrind M, Louis M, Ferguson SH, Glazov DM, Litovka DI, Loseto L, Meschersky IG, Miller MM, Petr M, Postma L, Rozhnov VV, Scott M, Westbury MV, Szpak P, Friesen TM, Lorenzen ED.
Abstract
Since colonizing the Mackenzie Delta in northwestern Canada ~1200 CE, Inuvialuit have been heavily reliant on belugas for their livelihoods and cultural heritage. However, little is known of the impact of centuries of sustained Inuvialuit subsistence hunting on the beluga population inhabiting the Mackenzie Delta. Using paleogenomic and stable isotope analysis of zooarchaeological remains, and comparing the findings with contemporary data, we investigate temporal changes in beluga diversity, structuring, and foraging ecology. We show Inuvialuit harvests had a negligible impact on the genetic diversity of contemporary Mackenzie belugas, and highlight the applicability of combining genomic sexing and isotope analysis of zooarchaeological remains for advancing our understanding of past hunting practices and faunal ecologies.
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