TY - JOUR
T1 - Late Pleistocene and Holocene whale remains (Cetacea) from Denmark and adjacent countries: Species, distribution, chronology, and trace element concentrations
AU - Aaris-Sørensen, Kim
AU - Rasmussen, Kaare Lund
AU - Kinze, Carl
AU - Petersen, Kaj Strand
PY - 2010/4
Y1 - 2010/4
N2 - We describe and review the subfossil whale bones (mammalian order
Cetacea) material from the southern Scandinavian area, that is,
Skagerrak, Kattegat, the inner Danish waters and the southwestern Baltic
Sea. Fifteen species were identified from the subfossil records of
which all, except for the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus),
have also been encountered in the modern times. Fifty-one specimens were
radiocarbon dated covering 12 of the subfossil species. The dates fell
in three distinct clusters with a few specimens before the last glacial
maximum (LGM), a large group between LGM and the Pleistocene/Holocene
boundary (ca. 17.0–11.7 cal. kyr BP), and another large group from ca.
8.0 cal. kyr BP onward. Seventeen of the radiocarbon dated specimens
have been subjected to trace element analysis by Instrumental Neutron
Activation Analysis. Cross plots of the concentrations of Fe and Zn, and
Fe and Co show that it is possible to distinguish crayfish eaters from
fish/squid eaters. This can be used as a novel and independent method
for the determination to species of whale remains of otherwise uncertain
speciation.
AB - We describe and review the subfossil whale bones (mammalian order
Cetacea) material from the southern Scandinavian area, that is,
Skagerrak, Kattegat, the inner Danish waters and the southwestern Baltic
Sea. Fifteen species were identified from the subfossil records of
which all, except for the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus),
have also been encountered in the modern times. Fifty-one specimens were
radiocarbon dated covering 12 of the subfossil species. The dates fell
in three distinct clusters with a few specimens before the last glacial
maximum (LGM), a large group between LGM and the Pleistocene/Holocene
boundary (ca. 17.0–11.7 cal. kyr BP), and another large group from ca.
8.0 cal. kyr BP onward. Seventeen of the radiocarbon dated specimens
have been subjected to trace element analysis by Instrumental Neutron
Activation Analysis. Cross plots of the concentrations of Fe and Zn, and
Fe and Co show that it is possible to distinguish crayfish eaters from
fish/squid eaters. This can be used as a novel and independent method
for the determination to species of whale remains of otherwise uncertain
speciation.
KW - Chronology
KW - Distribution
KW - Late Pleistocene-Holocene
KW - Southern Scandinavia
KW - Species
KW - Trace elements.
KW - Whale remains
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954466611&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00356.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00356.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0824-0469
VL - 26
SP - 253
EP - 281
JO - Marine Mammal Science
JF - Marine Mammal Science
IS - 2
ER -