SCIENCEglobal
Past intensive whaling threatens the future of bowhead whales
Single source
Updated 2 hours ago
First seen March 18, 2026 07:17:29Stay on top of this story
Follow the names and topics behind it.
Add this story's key topics to your watchlist so LyscoNews can highlight related developments and future matches.
Create a free account to sync your watchlist, saved stories, and alerts across devices.
Quick Summary
A unique collection of prehistoric bowhead whale bones, dating back 11,000 years, reveals a previously untold story of the relative impacts of humans on nature. The time series of ancient fossils show that commercial hunting of bowhead whales, which spanned 400 years and ceased less than a century ago in 1931, has left irreversible destructive traces in the species' genetics. This could have serious consequences for the long-term vulnerability of the species.