Ancient Bear Bones Were Found In The Aleutian Islands, And It’s Been A Mystery As To How They Got There Since Bears Never Lived On Those Islands

pipehorse - stock.adobe.com-  illustrative purposes only
pipehorse - stock.adobe.com- illustrative purposes only

During the early 2000s, ancient bear bones belonging to brown bears and polar bears were found in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, more specifically, the Unalaska and Amaknak Islands. However, it was a mystery as to how the bones got there since bears have never lived on those islands.

From carbon dating, scientists concluded that the bones of the brown bears are between 3,000 and 5,500 years old, while the polar bear bones are about 5,500 years old.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have been toying with the theory that people brought bear carcasses to the islands as a source of food.

Unangan ancestors were known to have traveled long distances for hunting trips and trading, so the scenario is a possibility.

The sites where the bones were discovered were once used by the Unangax people for dumping grounds.

The Unangax were a group of indigenous people who lived on the Aleutian Islands. Researchers have spoken with Unangax elders in an effort to gain further insight into the presence of the bear bones on the islands.

Many of the locals believed that the bears had been transported there after hunting trips or through trade networks.

Oral tradition suggests that people brought bear meat to the islands from Unimak thousands of years ago. Unimak was a neighboring island that actually contained a population of bears during that time.

Furthermore, a femur bone belonging to a bear fetus was among the findings. Experts think that the presence of a fetus indicates that butchering might have taken place in Unalaska.

pipehorse – stock.adobe.com- illustrative purposes only

There are no historical records to confirm the existing theories, but they do provide a starting point for researchers as they continue trying to uncover more clues about the origins of the bear bones.

Their next steps are to analyze deep DNA sequence data from the bear bones in order to figure out which modern-day bears the ancient animals are most closely related to.

The initial data they extracted was exceptionally well-preserved, so hopefully, a deeper analysis can provide even more information. The researchers plan to return to Unalaska to share any newfound knowledge with the community.

If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe

She Went On A Hiking Date And Started Throwing Up In Front of The Guy Because The Fast Food They Grabbed Beforehand Didn’t Agree With Her

She Got Accused of Being A Gold Digger After Admitting To Her Husband How She’d Rather Not Have A Spouse If She Somehow Became A Millionaire

She Doesn’t Trust Her Husband’s Therapist Because His Mental Health Has Only Gotten Worse, And The Therapist Keeps Doing Sessions With Him Out of The Office While Saying It’s “Only Unethical If They Get Caught”

She Packed Up Her Life And Left The Country After Her Best Friend Admitted That She Doesn’t Love Her Back And Got Married To A Guy

In 1977, She Left Her New Job At A Law Firm To Run Some Errands During Her Lunch Break And Was Never Seen Or Heard From Again

How To Decorate Your Home In The Art Deco Style

She’s Credited With Facilitating Peace Between Native Americans And White Settlers In The Colorado Plains During The 1800s

Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.

Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

More About: