Misplaced Pages

#26973

59-572: The total area of the preserve is 3,648,679 ha (36,486.79 km) of which 2,177,398 ha (21,774 km) constitute a marine buffer zone. The land territory includes most of Bering Island , all of Medny Island , as well as thirteen smaller islands and rocks. It was created in 1993 to protect the ecosystems of the Commander Islands and the surrounding marine waters of the Bering Sea and northern Pacific Ocean . Because of its isolation and

118-448: A nictitating membrane , which covered its eyes to prevent injury while feeding. The tongue was small and remained in the back of the mouth, unable to reach the masticatory (chewing) pads. The sea cow's spine is believed to have had seven cervical (neck), 17 thoracic , three lumbar , and 34 caudal (tail) vertebrae. Its ribs were large, with five of 17 pairs making contact with the sternum ; it had no clavicles . As in all sirenians,

177-503: A 1744 map drawn by Sven Waxell and Sofron Chitrow. The picture may have also been based upon a specimen, and was published in 1893 by Pekarski. The map depicted Vitus Bering's route during the Great Northern Expedition , and featured illustrations of Steller's sea cow and Steller's sea lion in the upper-left corner. The drawing contains some inaccurate features such as the inclusion of eyelids and fingers, leading to doubt that it

236-475: A Steller's sea cow were known. This may have been due to rising and falling sea levels over the course of the Quaternary period, which could have left many sea cow bones hidden. The first bones of a Steller's sea cow were unearthed in about 1840, over 70 years after it was presumed to have become extinct. The first partial sea cow skull was discovered in 1844 by Ilya Voznesensky while on the Commander Islands, and

295-475: A horse, and sighs. Despite their large size, as with many other marine megafauna in the region, Steller's sea cows may have been prey for the local transient orcas ( Orcinus orca ); it is likely that they experienced predation, as Steller observed that foraging sea cows with calves would always keep their calves between themselves and the shore, and orcas would have been the most likely candidate for causing this behavior. In addition, early indigenous peoples of

354-424: A little over a year, with calves likely delivered in autumn, as Steller observed a greater number of calves in autumn than at any other time of the year. Since female sea cows had only one set of mammary glands , they likely had one calf at a time. The sea cow used its fore limbs for swimming, feeding, walking in shallow water, defending itself, and holding on to its partner during copulation. According to Steller,

413-637: A natural habitat for sea otters , and their population now appears stable, unlike on other Aleutian islands, and although they had been hunted to near extinction on the then-recently discovered Bering Island by 1854. Steller sea lions continue to summer on Bering Island, but the manatee-like Steller's sea cows , which fed on the kelp beds surrounding the island, were hunted to extinction by 1768. Bering Island has also long been famous for its seal rookeries, including northern fur seals , common seals and larga seals , although that population dropped to but 2 rookeries totaling 3,000 seals by 1913 (two years after

472-406: A northern fur seal. The sea cow was depicted with large eyes, a large head, claw-like hands, exaggerated folds on the body, and a tail fluke in perspective lying horizontally rather than vertically. The drawing may have been a distorted depiction of a juvenile, as the figure bears a resemblance to a manatee calf. Another similar image was found by Alexander von Middendorff in 1867 in the library of

531-678: A part of the gums , and had many small holes containing nerves and arteries . As with all sirenians, the sea cow's snout pointed downwards, which allowed it to better grasp kelp . The sea cow's nostrils were roughly 5 cm (2 in) long and wide. In addition to those within its mouth, the sea cow also had stiff bristles 10–12.7 cm (3.9–5.0 in) long protruding from its muzzle. Steller's sea cow had small eyes located halfway between its nostrils and ears with black irises , livid eyeballs, and canthi which were not externally visible. The animal had no eyelashes, but like other diving creatures such as sea otters , Steller's sea cow had

590-559: A planeload of Aleuts from Nikolskoye met another planeload of Alaskan Aleuts in Kamchatka's capital, and were surprised they could still communicate in the old Aleut language. Because of their isolation, like the now-Alaskan Pribilof Islands , the Aleuts have been used for studies of genetic drift. The area surrounding Bering Island is now a biosphere reserve, known for its diverse wildlife, and particularly marine mammals. The island's shores form

649-463: A source; Stejneger suggested it may have been one of the original illustrations produced by Friedrich Plenisner, a member of Vitus Bering 's crew as a painter and surveyor who drew a figure of a female sea cow on Steller's request. Most of Plenisner's depictions were lost during transit from Siberia to Saint Petersburg. Another drawing of Steller's sea cow similar to the Pallas Picture appeared on

SECTION 10

#1732844207027

708-461: Is a member of the family Dugongidae , the sole surviving member of which, and thus Steller's sea cow's closest living relative, is the dugong ( Dugong dugon ). Steller's sea cow was a direct descendant of the Cuesta sea cow ( H. cuestae ), an extinct tropical sea cow that lived off the coast of western North America, particularly California. The Cuesta sea cow is thought to have become extinct due to

767-591: Is a round island with a diameter of 800 m (2,600 ft). In 1741 Commander Vitus Bering , sailing in Svyatoy Pyotr ( St. Peter ) for the Russian Navy , was shipwrecked and died of scurvy on Bering Island, along with 28 of his men. His ship had been destroyed by storms as they returned from an expedition that discovered mainland Alaska as well as the Aleutian Islands for Russians. The survivors under

826-454: Is estimated to fall between these figures, at about 8–10 t (8.8–11.0 short tons). This size made the sea cow one of the largest mammals of the Holocene epoch , along with baleen whales and some few toothed whales, and was likely an adaptation to reduce its surface-area to volume ratio and conserve heat. Unlike other sirenians, Steller's sea cow was positively buoyant , meaning that it

885-747: Is located off the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea . At 95 km (59 mi) long by 15 km (9.3 mi) wide, it is the largest and westernmost of the Commander Islands , with an area of 1,667 km (1,036 mi). Most of Bering Island and several of the smaller islands in their entirety are now part of the Komandorsky Zapovednik nature preserve. Bering Island is treeless, desolate and experiences severe weather, including high winds, persistent fog and earthquakes. It had no year-round human residents until roughly 1826. Now,

944-408: Is unknown. It may have been hunted by killer whales and sharks , though its buoyancy may have made it difficult for killer whales to drown, and the rocky kelp forests in which the sea cow lived may have deterred sharks. According to Steller, the adults guarded the young from predators. Steller described an ectoparasite on the sea cows that was similar to the whale louse ( Cyamus ovalis ), but

1003-611: The Bōsō Peninsula of Japan. The remains of three individuals were found preserved in the South Bight Formation of Amchitka; as late Pleistocene interglacial deposits are rare in the Aleutians, the discovery suggests that sea cows were abundant in that era. According to Steller, the sea cow often resided in the shallow, sandy shorelines and in the mouths of freshwater rivers. Genetic evidence suggests Steller's sea cow, as well as

1062-545: The North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911 ), particularly after the 20 year hunting lease of Hutchinson, Kohl and Company of San Francisco, which removed over 800,000 pelts. Whale species sighted in the surrounding waters include sperm whales , orcas , several species of beaked whales , humpback , and right whales . Porpoises also frequent these waters. Bering Island also has numerous seabirds. UNESCO noted that 203 bird species have been sighted on

1121-456: The Oyashio Current on its western flank. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −23.5 to 21.9 °C (−10.3–71.4 °F), with the latter occurring as recently as July 11, 2022. Steller%27s sea cow This is an accepted version of this page Steller's sea cow ( Hydrodamalis gigas ) is an extinct sirenian described by Georg Wilhelm Steller in 1741. At that time, it

1180-409: The scapula of Steller's sea cow was fan-shaped, being larger on the posterior side and narrower towards the neck. The anterior border of the scapula was nearly straight, whereas those of modern sirenians are curved. Like other sirenians, the bones of Steller's sea cow were pachyosteosclerotic , meaning they were both bulky ( pachyostotic ) and dense ( osteosclerotic ). In all collected skeletons of

1239-528: The whooper swan , Steller's eider , and Steller's sea eagle . Fishing is entirely prohibited within the 50 km (31 mi) buffer zone surrounding the preserve. An additional stated purpose of the preserve is to foster the ecologically and culturally sustainable development of the only inhabited settlement on the Commander Islands, the village of Nikolskoye (pop. approximately 750 as of 2007). Bering Island Bering Island ( Russian : о́стров Бе́ринга , romanized :  óstrov Béringa )

SECTION 20

#1732844207027

1298-600: The Aleutian islands to the United States in 1867, Bering Island was placed under the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky jurisdiction. The population grew from 110 people in 1827 (17 Russians, 45 Aleuts and 48 mixed race) to more than 300 people in 1879 (100 Aleuts on Copper island alone, along with 332 mixed-race and about 10% Russian or other nationalities). In 1990, after 170 years of separation and loss of cultural traditions,

1357-535: The Commander Islands were found in interglacial Pleistocene deposits in Amchitka , and further fossils dating to the late Pleistocene were found in Monterey Bay , California, and Honshu , Japan. This suggests that the sea cow had a far more extensive range in prehistoric times. It cannot be excluded that these fossils belong to other Hydrodamalis species. The southernmost find is a Middle Pleistocene rib bone from

1416-479: The Commander Islands, including 58 nesting there. Puffins are abundant, although the semi-flightless spectacled cormorant became extinct circa 1850. Two species of the Arctic foxes that tormented Bering's crew remain. Humans introduced reindeer , American mink and rats to the islands, with negative effects on native wildlife. Like the rest of Kamchatka Krai, Bering Island has a subarctic climate ( Dfc ), though

1475-524: The Cuesta sea cow. This has led some to believe that the Takikawa sea cow is its own species. The evolution of the genus Hydrodamalis was characterized by increased size, and a loss of teeth and phalanges , as a response to the onset of the Quaternary glaciation. Steller's sea cow was discovered in 1741 by Georg Wilhelm Steller, and was named after him. Steller researched the wildlife of Bering Island while he

1534-473: The North Pacific may have depended on the sea cow for food, and it is possible that this dependency may have extirpated the sea cow from portions of the North Pacific aside from the Commander Islands. Steller's sea cows may have also had a mutualistic (or possibly even parasitic ) relationship with local seabird species; Steller often observed birds perching on the exposed backs of the sea cows, feeding on

1593-659: The Russian Academy of Sciences, and is probably a copy of the Tsarskoye Selo Picture. The range of Steller's sea cow at the time of its discovery was apparently restricted to the shallow seas around the Commander Islands , which include Bering and Copper Islands. The Commander Islands remained uninhabited until 1825, when the Russian-American Company relocated Aleuts from Attu Island and Atka Island there. The first fossils discovered outside

1652-634: The Russian mainland, Steller then explored the Kamchatka peninsula and ultimately published De Bestiis Marinis (‘On the Beasts of the Sea’). However, his sympathies for the native peoples led to accusations that he was fomenting rebellion, so he was imprisoned and recalled to St. Petersburg , dying en route at age 37, although his diaries were later published to great acclaim and historic significance. In 1743 Emilian Basov landed on Bering Island to hunt sea otter, beginning

1711-441: The animal being nicknamed the "bark animal". Hair on its body was sparse, but the insides of the sea cow's flippers were covered in bristles. The fore limbs were roughly 67 cm (26 in) long, and the tail fluke was forked. The sea cow's head was small and short in comparison to its huge body. The animal's upper lip was large and broad, extending so far beyond the lower jaw that the mouth appeared to be located underneath

1770-403: The animal to consume. Since the sea cow floated, it likely fed on canopy kelp, as it is believed to have only had access to food no deeper than 1 m (3.3 ft) below the tide. Kelp releases a chemical deterrent to protect it from grazing, but canopy kelp releases a lower concentration of the chemical, allowing the sea cow to graze safely. Steller noted that the sea cow grew thin during

1829-509: The animal's length. The sea cow had no gallbladder , but did have a wide common bile duct . Its anus was 10 cm (0.33 ft) in width, with its feces resembling those of horses. The male's penis was 80 cm (2.6 ft) long. Genetic evidence indicates convergent evolution with other marine mammals of genes related to metabolic and immune function, including leptin associated with energy homeostasis and reproductive regulation. Whether Steller's sea cow had any natural predators

Komandorsky Nature Reserve - Misplaced Pages Continue

1888-471: The command of the Swedish born lieutenant Sven Waxell  [ ru ] were stranded on the island for 10 months, and managed to survive by killing seals and birds. They were able to build a boat out of their stranded wreck and managed to return to Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula in 1742 with sea otter furs and preserved meat from the newly discovered island. Another of the expedition's survivors

1947-531: The crew became shipwrecked on Bering Island . Much of what is known about its behavior comes from Steller's observations on the island, documented in his posthumous publication On the Beasts of the Sea . Within 27 years of its discovery by Europeans, the slow-moving and easily-caught mammal was hunted into extinction for its meat, fat, and hide. Some 18th-century adults would have reached weights of 8–10 t (8.8–11.0 short tons) and lengths up to 9 m (30 ft). It

2006-536: The first skeleton was discovered in 1855 on northern Bering Island. These specimens were sent to Saint Petersburg in 1857, and another nearly complete skeleton arrived in Moscow around 1860. Until recently, all the full skeletons were found during the 19th century, being the most productive period in terms of unearthed skeletal remains, from 1878 to 1883. During this time, 12 of the 22 skeletons having known dates of collection were discovered. Some authors did not believe possible

2065-451: The fore limbs were also used to anchor the sea cow down to prevent it from being swept away by the strong nearshore waves. While grazing, the sea cow progressed slowly by moving its tail (fluke) from side to side; more rapid movement was achieved by strong vertical beating of the tail. They often slept on their backs after feeding. According to Steller, the sea cow was nearly mute and made only heavy breathing sounds, raspy snorting similar to

2124-487: The frigid winters, indicating a period of fasting due to low kelp growth. Fossils of Pleistocene Aleutian Island sea cow populations were larger than those from the Commander Islands, indicating that the growth of Commander Island sea cows may have been stunted due to a less favorable habitat and less food than the warmer Aleutian Islands. Steller described the sea cow as being highly social ( gregarious ). It lived in small family groups and helped injured members, and

2183-534: The island's documented human habitation as well as ecological destruction. Promyshlenniki began to island-hop across the Bering Sea to the Aleutian islands and ultimately Alaska. In 1825 the Russian-American Company transferred Aleut families from Attu Island to Bering Island to hunt, and another group of Aleut and mixed-race settlers followed the following year, thus establishing the first known permanent human habitation on Bering Island. After Russia sold Alaska and

2242-453: The late 1800s, from which composite skeletons were assembled. As of 2006, 27 nearly complete skeletons and 62 complete skulls have been found, but most of them are assemblages of bones from two to 16 different individuals. The Pallas Picture is the only known drawing of Steller's sea cow believed to be from a complete specimen. It was published by Peter Simon Pallas in his 1840 work Icones ad Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica . Pallas did not specify

2301-454: The ocean makes temperatures much less extreme than interior Siberia, with winters being about four degrees milder than in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky . The transition to the subpolar oceanic climate of southwest Alaska to the east is very apparent, especially in the extremely low sunshine hours, which average only around 2.8 h per day due to the consistent fog from the Aleutian Low and

2360-478: The onset of the Quaternary glaciation and the subsequent cooling of the oceans. Many populations died out, but the lineage of Steller's sea cow was able to adapt to the colder temperatures. The Takikawa sea cow ( H. spissa ) of Japan is thought of by some researchers to be a taxonomic synonym of the Cuesta sea cow, but based on a comparison of endocasts , the Takikawa and Steller's sea cows are more derived than

2419-437: The parasite remains unidentified due to the host 's extinction and loss of all original specimens collected by Steller. It was first formally described as Sirenocyamus rhytinae in 1846 by Johann Friedrich von Brandt , although it has since been placed into the genus Cyamus as Cyamus rhytinae . It was the only species of cyamid amphipod to be reported inhabiting a sirenian. Steller also identified an endoparasite in

Komandorsky Nature Reserve - Misplaced Pages Continue

2478-961: The parasitic Cyamus rhytinae ; this unique relationship that disappeared with the sea cows may have been a food source for many birds, and is similar to the recorded interactions between oxpeckers ( Buphagus ) and extant African megafauna. † Anomotherium langewieschei † Miosiren kocki Trichechus inunguis Trichechus manatus Trichechus senegalensis † Eotheroides aegyptiacum † Halitherium schinzii † Priscosiren atlantica Dugong dugon † Metaxytherium krahuletzi † Metaxytherium serresii † Metaxytherium medium † Metaxytherium floridanum † Metaxytherium crataegense † Metaxytherium arctodites † Dusisiren jordani † Hydrodamalis cuestae † Hydrodamalis gigas † Dusisiren reinharti † Dusisiren jordani † Dusisiren dewana † Dusisiren takasatensis † Hydrodamalis cuestae † Hydrodamalis spissa † Hydrodamalis gigas Steller's sea cow

2537-492: The productivity of the Bering Sea and the Pacific continental shelf, the reserve is marked by a diversity of animal life. It is a refuge for over a million seabirds, several hundred thousand northern fur seals , several thousand Steller's sea lions , common seals , and spotted seals , a population of sea otter , some 21 whale species, two endemic subspecies of Arctic fox , and endangered or threatened migratory birds, such as

2596-465: The recovery of further significant skeletal material from the Commander Islands after this period, but a skeleton was found in 1983, and two zoologists collected about 90 bones in 1991. Only two to four skeletons of the sea cow exhibited in various museums of the world originate from a single individual. It is known that Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld , Benedykt Dybowski , and Leonhard Hess Stejneger unearthed many skeletal remains from different individuals in

2655-460: The sea cow in the new genus Hydrodamalis , with the specific name of stelleri , in honor of Steller. In 1811, naturalist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger reclassified Steller's sea cow into the genus Rytina , which many writers at the time adopted. The name Hydrodamalis gigas , the correct combinatio nova if a separate genus is recognised, was first used in 1895 by Theodore Sherman Palmer . For decades after its discovery, no skeletal remains of

2714-441: The sea cow, the manus is missing; since Dusisiren —the sister taxon of Hydrodamalis —had reduced phalanges (finger bones), Steller's sea cow possibly did not have a manus at all. The sea cow's heart was 16 kg (35 lb) in weight; its stomach measured 1.8 m (6 ft) long and 1.5 m (5 ft) wide. The full length of its intestinal tract was about 151 m (500 ft), equaling more than 20 times

2773-547: The sea cows, which was likely an ascarid nematode . Like other sirenians, Steller's sea cow was an obligate herbivore and spent most of the day feeding, only lifting its head every 4–5 minutes for breathing. Kelp was its main food source, making it an algivore . The sea cow likely fed on several species of kelp, which have been identified as Agarum spp., Alaria praelonga , Halosaccion glandiforme , Laminaria saccharina , Nereocyctis luetkeana , and Thalassiophyllum clathrus . Steller's sea cow only fed directly on

2832-493: The skull. Unlike other sirenians, Steller's sea cow was toothless and instead had a dense array of interlacing white bristles on its upper lip. The bristles were about 3.8 cm (1.5 in) in length and were used to tear seaweed stalks and hold food. The sea cow also had two keratinous plates, called ceratodontes , located on its palate and mandible , used for chewing. According to Steller, these plates (or "masticatory pads") were held together by interdental papillae ,

2891-440: The soft parts of the kelp, which caused the tougher stem and holdfast to wash up on the shore in heaps. The sea cow may have also fed on seagrass , but the plant was not common enough to support a viable population and could not have been the sea cow's primary food source. Further, the available seagrasses in the sea cow's range ( Phyllospadix spp. and Zostera marina ) may have grown too deep underwater or been too tough for

2950-440: The village of Nikolskoye is home to 800 people, roughly three hundred of them identifying as Aleuts . The island's small population is involved mostly in fishing . Two and a half miles (4 km) off Bering Island's western shore lies small Toporkov Island (Ostrov Toporkov) 55°12′9″N 165°55′59″E  /  55.20250°N 165.93306°E  / 55.20250; 165.93306  ( Toporkov Island ) . It

3009-459: Was Georg Wilhelm Steller , who eventually managed to convince his companions to eat seaweed (thus curing their scurvy). Steller explored Bering Island and cataloged its fauna, including Steller's sea cow , which became extinct within three decades due to being hunted for its meat. The island's highest point (2,464 feet (751 m)) is now named to honor the German-born naturalist. Upon returning to

SECTION 50

#1732844207027

3068-639: Was a monogamous and social animal living in small family groups and raising its young , similar to modern sirenians. Steller's sea cows are reported to have grown to 8 to 9 m (26 to 30 ft) long as adults, much larger than extant sirenians . In 1987, a rather complete skeleton was found on Bering Island measuring 3 m (9.8 ft). In 2017, another such skeleton was found on Bering Island measuring 5.2 m (17 ft), and in life probably about 6 m (20 ft). Georg Steller 's writings contain two contradictory estimates of weight: 4 and 24.3 t (4.4 and 26.8 short tons). The true value

3127-489: Was a member of the genus Hydrodamalis , a group of large sirenians, whose sister taxon was Dusisiren . Like those of Steller's sea cow, the ancestors of Dusisiren lived in tropical mangroves before adapting to the cold climates of the North Pacific . Hydrodamalis and Dusisiren are classified together in the subfamily Hydrodamalinae , which diverged from other sirenians around 4 to 8 mya . Steller's sea cow

3186-532: Was a member of the family Dugongidae , of which the 3 m (9.8 ft) long dugong ( Dugong dugon ) is the sole living member. It had a thicker layer of blubber than other members of the order, an adaptation to the cold waters of its environment. Its tail was forked, like that of whales or dugongs. Lacking true teeth, it had an array of white bristles on its upper lip and two keratinous plates within its mouth for chewing. It fed mainly on kelp , and communicated with sighs and snorting sounds. Steller believed it

3245-461: Was also apparently monogamous . Steller's sea cow may have exhibited parental care , and the young were kept at the front of the herd for protection against predators. Steller reported that as a female was being captured, a group of other sea cows attacked the hunting boat by ramming and rocking it, and after the hunt, her mate followed the boat to shore, even after the captured animal had died. Mating season occurred in early spring and gestation took

3304-460: Was drawn from a specimen. Johann Friedrich von Brandt , director of the Russian Academy of Sciences, had the "Ideal Image" drawn in 1846 based upon the Pallas Picture, and then the "Ideal Picture" in 1868 based upon collected skeletons. Two other possible drawings of Steller's sea cow were found in 1891 in Waxell's manuscript diary. There was a map depicting a sea cow, as well as a Steller sea lion and

3363-468: Was found only around the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia ; its range extended across the North Pacific during the Pleistocene epoch , and likely contracted to such an extreme degree due to the glacial cycle . It is possible indigenous populations interacted with the animal before Europeans. Steller first encountered it on Vitus Bering 's Great Northern Expedition when

3422-705: Was shipwrecked there for about a year; the animals on the island included relict populations of sea cows, sea otters, Steller sea lions , and northern fur seals . As the crew hunted the animals to survive, Steller described them in detail. Steller's account was included in his posthumous publication De bestiis marinis , or The Beasts of the Sea , which was published in 1751 by the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg . Zoologist Eberhard von Zimmermann formally described Steller's sea cow in 1780 as Manati gigas . Biologist Anders Jahan Retzius in 1794 put

3481-531: Was unable to submerge completely. It had a very thick outer skin , 2.5 cm (1 in), to prevent injury from sharp rocks and ice and possibly to prevent unsubmerged skin from drying out. The sea cow's blubber was 8–10 cm (3–4 in) thick, another adaptation to the frigid climate of the Bering Sea. Its skin was brownish-black, with white patches on some individuals. It was smooth along its back and rough on its sides, with crater-like depressions most likely caused by parasites . This rough texture led to

#26973