Researchers from Institute of Biotechnology at University of Helsinki, together with their international collaborators, described a new type of ringed seal that inhabits Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO world heritage site in West Greenland. The seals in the icefjord are much larger than other ringed seals and their fur differs in both markings and color shades. Local trappers have had for generations a special name for the Ilulissat Icefjord seals: ‘Kangiat’ (‘those from Kangia‘), in contrast to the other ringed seals, which are locally called ‘Kitaajaqqat’ (‘the little ones from the west‘). The study is published in the ‘Molecular Ecology‘ journal.
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