[Ecology of the ringed seal (Pusa hispida) from the Bering Strait in the late Holocene].

The combined use of analysis of stable isotopes and archeozoological methods with respect to bony material from an ancient Eskimo settlement (dated 2370-810 years ago) made it possible to reveal the main distinguishing features of ringed seal in the past. On the basis of the data obtained, we suppose that in the late Holocene in the water area of the Bering Strait, there were seals of two different ecotopes: those reproducing on fast ice and those on pack ice differing not only in habitats, but also in the proportion of different food items in the diet. The ringed seals caught by ancient Eskimos during their life had a mixed diet consisting of crustaceans and fish, but in most individuals, a shift towards fish eating was observed. No significant changes in the feeding related to spawning were recorded. The dependence of feeding on body size was shown: bigger, mature individuals occupied higher trophic positions.