Walruses have been heavily exploited for over 1000 years, for their ivory, blubber, meat and hide. This intense exploitation has left its mark on walrus populations, with severe population decreases and local extinctions as a consequence. Even in those areas where the numbers have not decreased dramatically, humans might have impacted walruses in various other ways.
Within the 4-OCEANS project, one of our aims is to quantify any historical changes in the ecomorphology of walruses between geographical regions and chronological periods to gain insights into their past relationship with humans and the environment.
The ecomorphology – the interplay of size, shape, diet and living conditions – of an animal can be studied using various methods. Morphological analyses, such as linear and geometric morphometrics, provide insight into size and shape, while stable isotope analysis provides information on diet and living environment. By accessing museum collections across Europe and North America, morphological data and bone samples for isotope analysis of modern and archaeological walruses have been collected.
Cite this book chapter:
Dierickx, Katrien. “Hvalrossens økomorfologi: Hva er det og hvordan er det relatert til menneskets erverv? / The ecomorphology of walruses: What is it and how does it relate to human exploitation?” In Havets Elfenbein / Sea Ivories, ed. James H. Barrett and Ellen Grav. NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet, 2025.
