Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 45(special issue) 2002

Issue:

VOL 45(special issue) 2002

Keywords:

West Greenland, subfossil goose bones, Anser, Branta, morphology, biometrics, medullary bone, ancient goose populations

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Former occurrences of geese (Genera Anser and Branta) in ancient West Greenland: morphological and biometric approaches

• Anne Birgitte GOTFREDSEN

Abstract:

Goose remains from 16 prehistoric localities ranging from the beginning of the Saqqaq period, c. 2400 B.C., to Colonial times, c. 1850 A.D. were examined in order to elucidate the prehistoric distribution of goose populations in Central West Greenland. The site of Nipisat I, Sisimiut/Holsteinsborg District, dated to c. 2000-500 B.C., provided nearly 1800 goose remains which were compared to extant Greenland goose species of the genera Branta and Anser. The Nipsat I geese were significantly smaller than the Whitefronted Geese Anser albifrons flavirostris and could be assigned to the genus Branta based on the unpneumatised furcula. The presence of juvenile goose bones and 63 percent of the femora containing medullary bone demonstrated that the Nipisat I geese bred or at least staged in close proximity to the coast. The following scenario is suggested: a Branta species, presumably a smaller subspecies of Canada Goose Branta canadensis, may have co-existed with White-fronted Geese, documented in the interior of the Nuuk/Godthåb District since at least c. 1000-1400 A.D. and the interior of the Sisimiut/Holsteinsborg District since at least c. 1200-1300 A.D. The Brent Goose Branta bernicla hrota, was established as a member of the Greenland avifauna 4000-4500 years ago and possibly earlier.