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Arctic Region, North Pole, Arctic
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Paleo-history: During the Cretaceous, the Arctic still had seasonal snows, though only a light dusting and not enough to permanently hinder plant growth. Animals such as Chasmosaurus, Hypacrosaurus, Troodon, and Edmontosaurus may have all migrated north to take advantage of the summer growing season, and migrated south to warmer climes when the winter came. A similar situation may also have been found amongst dinosaurs that lived in Antarctic regions, such as Muttaburrasaurus of Australia.
The earliest inhabitants of North America's central and eastern Arctic are referred to as the Arctic small tool tradition (AST) and existed circa 2500 BC. AST consisted of several subsets, including Independence culture and Pre-Dorset culture. The Dorset culture (Inuktitut: Tuniit or Tunit) refers to the next inhabitants of central and eastern Arctic. The Dorset culture evolved because of technological and economic changes during the period of 1050-550 BC. With the exception of the Quebec/Labrador peninsula, the Dorset culture vanished around 1500 AD. Supported by genetic testing, evidence shows that Dorset culture survived in Aivilik, Southampton and Coats Islands, until the beginning of the 20th century.
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