The 11,500 year old specimen is a walrus skull discovered around twenty years ago by Serge Chevarie on the North Dune.
Jean- Simon Richard mentions that several studies have documented the presence of walruses in the Maritimes, particularly in New Brunswick and Newfoundland. However, no research had looked into their presence on the Islands, although it was known that there was a colony of walruses when the Europeans arrived.
He says that the walrus arouses passions in the Islands. This is one of the reasons, if not the main reason why the Islands were colonized by Europeans. There is a lot of interest in walrus bones. It raises the passions a little to see results like that!, testifies Mr. Richard.
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The director of the Musée des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Jean Simon Richard , with the carcass of a fin whale found on the banks of Brion Island. (File photo)
The museum director explains that it is normal, after a storm, to find walrus tusks or walrus skulls on the beaches. There are a lot of people who are keeping their eyes open for that, for monetary reasons, but above all historical ones.
He emphasizes that the next years will be promising.
Several scientific studies will come out of 4-OCÉANS. It will take a few years for us to receive results, both on walruses and on whales that have now disappeared from the St. Lawrence, such as the bowhead whale or the gray whale, says the man who, as a child, already walked the beaches of the islands with his father in search of walrus tusks.
The 11,500 year old walrus skull is now part of the collection of the Musée des Îles-de -la-Madeleine and will be part of the next exhibition.
Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116