Thread by @WLCrittersClass

And now for the #zooarchaeology of the sea otter! Thread by #WLCrittersClass student Keane C. #2023MMM

1/? #WLCrittersClass #2023MMM
Sea otters are a member of the Mustelidae family, and the only mammal that gives birth underwater. I’m going to focus on their history, ecological importance, and what we know about them due to archaeology, mainly from Alaskan indigenous Nations.

#WLCrittersClass #2023MMM
Sea Otters were endangered for a long time because they were overhunted in the 18th-20th centuries for their pelts. By 1911, sea otters were extinct from Oregon; their population was believed to be ~1500 in the world. (U.S Government 2017).

3/? #WLCrittersClass #2023MMM
Sea Otters are also a keystone species, meaning that they are necessary for their entire ecosystems to survive. They help protect kelp forests by eating sea urchins. They even USE TOOLS to pry open food! (U.S Government 2017)

4/? #WLCrittersClass #2023MMM
Sea otters have been hunted and used by the Tinglit Nation for >10,000 years! (Barlow and Oregon, n.d.). They were hunted for pelts to stay warm in the winter. Sea otter pelts have around 1 million hairs per square inch. (U.S Government 2017)

5/? #WLCrittersClass #2023MMM
DNA from Oregon sea otters has been compared to remains from Russia, British Columbia, & modern examples. Based on archaeological finds, cut marks on sea otter bones show they were used as tools by Northern Pacific Nations. (Barlow and Oregon, n.d.)

6/? #WLCrittersClass #2023MMM
"Sea otters' relative the river otter appeared [in #2022MMM]. They are ferocious as they play with & taunt their food, but they lost bc they were easily distracted. These Sea Otters are bigger, faster, & stronger, so watch out for them this year!"

7/? [That was #WLCrittersClass student opinion, fyi; I can neither confirm nor deny.] #2023MMM

8/? WORKS CITED
Barlow, J. “Study Explores How Native Americans Used Sea Otters.” Phys.org., June 2, 2020. phys.org/news/2020-06-e….
U.S Government. “12 Facts about Otters for Sea Otter Awareness Week” U.S. Department of the Interior, 2022. doi.gov/blog/12-facts-…

9/? P.S. we may be adding on to this sea otter #Zooarchaeology thread in the future because there's an amazing site in the Pacific Northwest with excellent preservation where they appear. To Be Continued...
#WLCrittersClass #2023MMM