Photos: Studying old walrus bones

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Casey Clark, left, and Courtney Sessum of the University of Alaska Fairbanks collect samples for testing from walrus bones unearthed at the Point Franklin archaeological dig on Wednesday, September 23, 2015, at the Barrow Arctic Research Center. They used small saws to remove three samples from each piece to run tests on DNA, stable isotopes and hormone levels. A vacuum system collected dust as they cut. Clark is pursuing a doctorate, and Sessum is an undergraduate student.

At a lab in Barrow, researchers affiliated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks are cutting into old Pacific walrus bones discovered at a site near Point Franklin on Alaska's Arctic coast.

They're looking for DNA, stress hormones and carbon and nitrogen isotopes, which could them about everything from population sizes to the marine mammals' shifting diet.

The picture of past walrus populations that scientists will eventually be able to piece together from this evidence will help managers determine how resilient the animal may be in the face of a changing climate -- which is already affecting the Chukchi Sea ice they previously hauled out on during late summer and early fall.

Read more: Old walrus bones dug up in Alaska's Arctic could shed new light on Point Lay haulouts