A new analysis recently revealed that sled dogs in the 17th century turned to cannibalism to fuel themselves on their journeys through the Arctic.
According to a Mail Online report, sled dogs have been used in the Arctic for approximately 2,000 years, tasked with pulling heavy loads during long journeys through the tundra.
The University of York scientists have analyzed frozen feces, extracting proteins from the specimens to reveal more about Arctic sled dogs' diets.
The study findings proposed that while the diets of the dogs had high amounts of salmon, some pooches were forced to depend on cannibalism to stay well-fueled.
In their research, the authors examined frozen canine feces collected from the Nunalleq archeological site, close to Quinhagak, Alaska.
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A new analysis recently revealed that sled dogs in the 17th century turned to cannibalism to fuel themselves on their journeys through the Arctic.
Turning to Cannibalism
The area was known to be occupied between 1300 CE and 1750 CE. Essentially, the proteins showed that dogs ate muscle, bone, and intestines from a range of salmon species which include chum salmon, frequently called dog salmon.
Nevertheless, the same Alert Breaking News report said, a bone fragment in one of the specimens was identified as being from a canid. This then proposed that the dogs ate other dogs as well, a result that is backed by previous analyses of gnaw marks on discarded bones.
According to Anne Kathrine Wilborg Runge, who led the research, the dogs' lives and their interactions with humans have only recently turned out to be a subject of interest to archeologists.
She explained this analysis of their dietary habits shows more about their association with humans. In the Arctic, she added, dogs depend exclusively on humans for food during winter, although understanding the provisioning strategies' details has been quite a challenge.
The 'Palaeoproteomics' Technique
In sites like the Arctic, a similar The Journal Daily report specified, the permafrost has preserved "palaeofaeces." Now, they can be used as a distinctive source of information by which one can learn about the past.
To recover proteins from the specimens, the study authors used a technique known as palaeoproteomics, which is based on tandem mass spectrometry that allows experts to find out which tissues the proteins came from.
A follow-up analysis was then conducted on bone fragments from within the feces. Wiborg Runge also said Arctic dogs depend exclusively on humans for food during the long winters, although many have been fed differently or less often in summer or been "let loose to fend for themselves."
She added, working sled dogs are a specifically costly resource, necessitating a maximum of 3.2 kilograms of fish or meat daily, and provisioning would thus have played a substantial role in the food procurement approaches of previous Arctic cultures.
Ideal Sled Dogs
Some of the most popular sled dog breeds, according to an article from The Girl Sun, include the Samoyed, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, and Chinook.
Sled dogs possibly evolved in Mongolia from 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. Researchers think that humans migrated north of the Arctic Circle along with their dogs approximately 25,000 years ago and started to use them to pull sleds approximately 3,000 years back.
Historical references to dogs which the Native American cultures used are available, dating back to before the first Europeans made land.
There were two main sled dog types. These comprise the one coastal cultures have kept, and the other, by those living in the interior.
Lastly, during the mid-1800s, Russian traders followed the Yukon River inland and attained sled dogs from villages along its shores.
Related information about sled dog breeds is shown on IohannC Plays' YouTube video below:
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