LAND OF THE GIANTS
Episode 1.2
Jen and Jacob fly to Whitehorse to learn from an esteemed Palaeontologist about the wooly mammoths, giant beavers and other megafauna that co-existed with the Ancient Peoples of the Yukon. Then they venture further north with Dr. Rudy to join their first dig at Little John, one of the most exciting archaeological hotspots of the western sub Arctic.
Yukon Mega Fauna
Ice Age Bison
“The Ice Age is amazing because it’s the first time Archeologists and Palaeontologists worked together.”
– Jenifer Brousseau
Shifting Northern Shorelines
When the great ice sheets of the last Ice Age locked away sea water around the world, ocean levels dropped exposing the Beringia Land Bridge. Connecting Siberia to Alaska, this low-lying zone was rich in wildlife and rimmed the top edge of what would become the Pacific Ocean. Over this convenient, fertile migration path, both man and animal crossed into new territories.
Permafrost Archaeology
The permafrost preserves DNA for 10,000 to several 100,000 years. This provides newly available and extremely useful material for study in the evolution of animals with new techniques in genetics.
“What’s the difference between an Archaeologist and a Palaeontologist?”
– Jacob Pratt
Shifting Northern Shorelines
When the great ice sheets of the last Ice Age locked away sea water around the world, ocean levels dropped exposing the Beringia Land Bridge. Connecting Siberia to Alaska, this low-lying zone was rich in wildlife and rimmed the top edge of what would become the Pacific Ocean. Over this convenient, fertile migration path, both man and animal crossed into new territories.
Permafrost Archaeology
The permafrost preserves DNA for 10,000 to several 100,000 years. This provides newly available and extremely useful material for study in the evolution of animals with new techniques in genetics.