2006 Annual Meeting and Arctic Forum | Abstracts

Inuit and Scientific Descriptions of the Narwhal: Connecting Parallel Perceptions. Inter-disciplinary Studies of the Narwhal with a Focus on Tusk Function.

Martin Nweeia¹, Frederick Eichmiller², Cornelius Nutarak³, Jack R. Orr⁴, James Mead⁵, Peter Hauschka^6
1Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA, Phone 860-364-0200, Fax 860-364-5606, martin_nweeia@hsdm.harvard.edu
²Paffenbarger Research Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive - MS8546, NIST - Bldg. 224, Rm. A153, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-8546, USA, Phone 301-975-6813, Frederick.eichmiller@nist.gov
³Inuit Elder, PO Box 116, Pond Inlet, NU, X0A 0S0, Canada, Phone 867-899-8693, in care of Lucy Quasa, lkubluquasa@yahoo.ca
⁴Arctic Research Division, Central & Arctic Region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T2N6, Canada, Phone 204-984-2187, Fax 204-984-2403, orrj@DFO-MPO.GC.CA
⁵National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, MRC 108, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA, Phone 202-633-1256, Fax 202-786-2979, mead.james@NMNH.SI.EDU
⁶Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Enders-1007, Boston, MA, 02115, USA, Phone 617-919-2950, Fax 617-730-0239, peter.hauschka@childrens.harvard.edu

To discover the purpose and function of the erupted tusk of the narwhal, a multinational team has been established using an interdisciplinary approach that crosses borders of biologic, chemical, physical and social science. Thus far, 27 institutions worldwide and over 48 scientists have combined their insights and backgrounds with 32 Inuit elders from the Canadian High Arctic and Greenland to assemble the pieces of this marine mammal puzzle that has eluded scientific discovery for hundreds of years. Investigators with myriad backgrounds in cellular biology, histology, anatomy, marine mammal science, dental medicine, evolutionary genetics and mathematics are currently analyzing narwhal teeth and their associated structures. Inuit elders, who have experienced decades of intimate interactions with narwhal, are providing their knowledge and experiences to help researchers understand the whale's behavior and social characteristics. Each of these parallel perceptions has shared points that contribute to, guide, and challenge past studies and current findings. For example, Fourier transform infrared fluorescent mircro-spectroscopy results on the flexibility and strength of the tusk hard tissue scientifically confirms what Init elders have known for years. Currently underway are studies involving CT and MRI imaging of anatomical head specimens, electron microscopic and cellular examinations of hard and soft tissue associated with narwhal teeth, mathematical modeling of tusk spirals in relation to function, collection and compilation of digital audio, and video interviews recording Traditional Knowledge, and arctic ice formation examination from satellite records. Realizing the evolutionary precedents for the expression of the narwhal tusk are limited, tooth microstructure studies of Odobenoceptops and other animals in the fossil record will be investigated.

These broad based evaluations have led to significant findings about tusk function. Among them is an unusual anatomic expression of sensory tubules extending from the tooth pulp to the outer tusk surface, and a reverse hard tissue architecture. Both of these findings are unique in the expression of teeth. These studies bring scientists face to face with Inuit elders on a common platform that integrates observation and scientific findings to establish a better understanding of the narwhal and its extraordinary tooth.