Remembering Dale Guthrie: A Pioneer of Ice Age Research
Alaska biologist and paleontologist Dale Guthrie, who passed away in 2024 at 88, was instrumental in expanding our understanding of ice-age Alaska. His groundbreaking work was sparked in the summer of 1979 when he responded to a report of a frozen steppe bison, later named “Blue Babe.” Guthrie’s meticulous nature allowed him to connect scattered details to form a coherent narrative about the distant past.
Discovered by gold miner Walter Roman in Fairbanks, Blue Babe is estimated to be over 50,000 years old. Guthrie, who had been studying Pleistocene fossils for 15 years, spearheaded the excavation, enlisting his family to help retrieve the well-preserved animal before flies compromised its remains. The unique find would later inspire his influential book, The Nature of Paleolithic Art, where he redefined the understanding of early human art as reflective of apprentice-hunters rather than spiritual endeavors.
His theories about the Bering Land Bridge and its climate contradicted prevailing notions, suggesting it was cloudier and wetter than previously thought—insights that have been corroborated by recent climate models.
Colleagues and friends recognized Guthrie’s profound influence on the field of paleoecology. “He saw things as whole, not as subdisciplines,” remarked fellow UAF scientist Dan Mann. His unique ability to integrate seemingly disparate details into comprehensive models has cemented his legacy as a pioneering figure in understanding Alaska’s ancient ecosystems.
As Alaskans remember Dale Guthrie, his contributions to science and natural history will resonate for generations to come.
Source
Photo credit www.adn.com
