Narwhal : revealing an arctic legend /
Fitzhugh, William W.,1943-editor.
Nweeia, Martin Thomas,editor.
"Few animals on the planet inspire the sense of wonder evoked by the narwhal. The 'Arctic unicorn' is everyone's version of 'awesome' and 'cool.' Explorers, aristocrats, artists and scientists celebrate this elusive whale and its extraordinary tusk. From Flemish unicorn tapestries, Inuit legends and traditional knowledge, and the research of devoted scientists, comes a tale of discovery reported here from the top of the world, a place where climate change is rapidly transforming one of the harshest environments on earth. How did the narwhal tusk become the horn of the fabled unicorn? What treasures do the Inuit hold about this majestic but elusive denizen? What have scientists discovered about the function of its tusk? Explore with whale biologists as they capture live narwhals to answer questions of narwhal biology, migration, population and behavior. Ponder the evolutionary history of the narwhal through paleontology and genetic science. Contemplate the fate of northern regions, animals, and peoples in a rapidly warming Arctic. Experience the insights and observations of Inuit hunters who have lived with the narwhal for thousands of years. The following pages present their views along with the latest research in narwhal biology, art, and climate science illustrated by more than a dozen photographers and graphic artists. 'Narwhal' tells the story of the whale that has captured the imagination of the world for centuries -- it truly reveals an Arctic legend." --
"This book is the companion to the exhibit, "Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend" at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, opening August 2017"--Title page verso.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-227) and index.
1. What is a whale? -- 2. The universally beloved unicorn -- 3. Narwhal biology: an overview ; Listening to narwhals ; The physics of flukes -- 4. The extraordinary narwhal tooth ; Whale in the net! ; Making sense of the tusk -- 5. Narwhal DNA ; Why sequence whole genomes? ; The Narwhal Genome Initiative: a progress report -- 6. Deep time: the narwhal and beluga fossil record ; Narwhals and climate -- 7. Qaujimajatuqangit: Inuit knowledge and modern life ; Nunavut government symbols -- 8. Inuit and narwhal -- 9. Inuit contributions to narwhal knowledge -- 10. Climate and the changing Arctic ; Narwhals and the global mercury issue ; As goes the Arctic ... ; Narwhal: an uncertain future ; The last ice area -- 11. Arctic change, resource extraction, and Inuit communities in Nunavut ; Drowning in noise ; Rethinking human development ; Now is the time -- 12. Out of the Arctic, into the Smithsonian: making the Narwahl Exhibition.
"Few animals on the planet inspire the sense of wonder evoked by the narwhal. The 'Arctic unicorn' is everyone's version of 'awesome' and 'cool.' Explorers, aristocrats, artists and scientists celebrate this elusive whale and its extraordinary tusk. From Flemish unicorn tapestries, Inuit legends and traditional knowledge, and the research of devoted scientists, comes a tale of discovery reported here from the top of the world, a place where climate change is rapidly transforming one of the harshest environments on earth. How did the narwhal tusk become the horn of the fabled unicorn? What treasures do the Inuit hold about this majestic but elusive denizen? What have scientists discovered about the function of its tusk? Explore with whale biologists as they capture live narwhals to answer questions of narwhal biology, migration, population and behavior. Ponder the evolutionary history of the narwhal through paleontology and genetic science. Contemplate the fate of northern regions, animals, and peoples in a rapidly warming Arctic. Experience the insights and observations of Inuit hunters who have lived with the narwhal for thousands of years. The following pages present their views along with the latest research in narwhal biology, art, and climate science illustrated by more than a dozen photographers and graphic artists. 'Narwhal' tells the story of the whale that has captured the imagination of the world for centuries -- it truly reveals an Arctic legend." --
Narwhal