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Wapusk Polar Bears
DECEMBER 2005
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In Learn More the National Geographic magazine team shares some of its best sources and other information to expand your knowledge of our featured subjects. Special thanks to the Research Division.
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 Did You Know?
Because of their chemistry, peat bogs can act like time capsules, preserving items deposited in them for thousands of years. Some amazing finds have been discovered by people digging for peat, dense plant matter that can be burned to provide heat. From ancient tools and weapons to clothing and jewelry, bogs around the world have kept their secrets well. Human bodies, likely deposited as part of early rituals, have been unearthed, with elaborate hairstyles, facial stubble, and papillary lines on hands and feet intact.
Poor drainage and the layers of partially decayed plants that make up a bog's spongy terrain are the secret to these windows on the past. The loose ground holds significant amounts of still water, and objects below the surface are protected from the damaging effects of scavengers and interaction with oxygen. The acids in the water also act as a tanning agent, which can turn human skin a dark leathery color and prevent it from rotting.
In addition to providing a glimpse into human life long ago, peatlands have also proved useful at deciphering the botanical history of the planet. Well preserved seeds and spores provide a record that can be analyzed to gain an understanding of the biological diversity of the distant past.
–Brad Scriber
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Related Links
Wapusk National Park
www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/mb/wapusk/index_e.asp
The official Parks Canada website for the park.
World Conservation Union: Polar Bear Specialist Group
pbsg.npolar.no
Read about polar bear research and current threats identified by the world's experts.
Churchill Northern Studies Center
www.churchillmb.net/~cnsc
Plan an educational vacation at a research station and former rocket range just outside Wapusk National Park.
Geophysical Institute at the University of Fairbanks
odin.gi.alaska.edu/FAQ
Discover the science behind the spectacle of the northern lights.
Peatland Ecology Research Group
www.gret-perg.ulaval.ca
Read more about what makes this ecosystem unique and about preservation efforts.
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Bibliography
Derocher, Andrew, Nicholas Lunn, and Ian Stirling. "Polar Bears in a Warming Climate." Integrative and Comparative Biology (2004), 44:163-176.
Hassol, Susan Joy. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Feldhamer, George A., Bruce C. Thompson, and Joseph A. Chapman, eds. Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation, 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003.
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NGS Resources
Eliot, John L. "Polar Bears: White on White." National Geographic (February 2004), 20-47.
Kranking, Kathy. "Polar Bears: Ultra Cool!" National Geographic World (December 2001), 24-8.
Rosing, Norbert. "Bear Beginnings: New Life on the Ice." National Geographic (December 2000), 30-9.
Eliot, John L. "Polar Bears, Stalkers of the High Arcti.," National Geographic (January 1998), 52-71.
Crow, Sandra Lee. Penguins and Polar Bears: Animals of the Ice and Snow. National Geographic Books, 1985.
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