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Cited by 52Indigenous Studies and EcologyPolar Research and EcologyMarine animal studies overview

Climate Degradation and Extreme Icing Events Constrain Life in Cold-Adapted Mammals

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Berger, J., Hartway, C., Gruzdev, A., Johnson, M.·2018·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/s41598-018-19416-9PMC PMC5773676
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Abstract

Despite the growth in knowledge about the effects of a warming Arctic on its cold-adapted species, the mechanisms by which these changes affect animal populations remain poorly understood. Increasing temperatures, declining sea ice and altered wind and precipitation patterns all may affect the fitness and abundance of species through multiple direct and indirect pathways. Here we demonstrate previously unknown effects of rain-on-snow (ROS) events, winter precipitation, and ice tidal surges on the Arctic’s largest land mammal. Using novel field data across seven years and three Alaskan and Russian sites, we show arrested skeletal growth in juvenile muskoxen resulting from unusually dry winter conditions and gestational ROS events, with the inhibitory effects on growth from ROS events lasting up to three years post-partum. Further, we describe the simultaneous entombment of 52 muskoxen in ice during a Chukchi Sea winter tsunami (ivuniq in Iñupiat), and link rapid freezing to entrapment of Arctic whales and otters. Our results illustrate how once unusual, but increasingly frequent Arctic weather events affect some cold-adapted mammals, and suggest that an understanding of species responses to a changing Arctic can be enhanced by coalescing groundwork, rare events, and insights from local people.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41598-018-19416-9

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  • The Alaskan tidal surge which entombed 55 muskoxen in ice is an example.

    “and on a smaller spatial and temporal scale, the Alaskan tidal surge which entombed 55 muskoxen in ice (Adams in Kutz et al. 2017; Berger et al. 2018).”

    From Muskox status, recent variation, and uncertain future (2020) · cites this paper as Berger et al. 2018

    The Results (page not supplied) describe an Alaskan tidal surge that trapped at least 52 muskoxen in ice. They say 55 muskoxen had clustered in the lagoon before the surge, not that all 55 were entombed; the Discussion also gives the entombment count as 52. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [45]Lent, P. C. Muskoxen and Their Hunters: A History (University of Oklahoma Press, 1999).

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Authors
Berger, J., Hartway, C., Gruzdev, A., & Johnson, M.
Affiliations
  • Wildlife Conservation Society (US)
  • US Forest Service (US)
Corresponding author
Berger, J.
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-01-18
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
1156-1156
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41598-018-19416-9
PMC
PMC5773676
OpenAlex
W2784332724
Cited by
52
References
55
Citations by year
2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 3
FWCI
9.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Geographic Society
  • Trust for Mutual Understanding
  • National Park Service
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Indigenous Studies and Ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Polar Research and Ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Marine animal studies overview
Keywords
Ovibos moschatus, rain-on-snow events, winter precipitation, juvenile growth, prenatal stress, Arctic climate change, sea ice decline, local knowledge, Inupiat
MeSH terms
Animals, Arctic Regions, Cold Climate, Disasters, Female, Male, Otters, Rain, Ruminants, Snow, Whales, Body Size, History, 19th Century, History, 21st Century, Tsunamis, Climate Change

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