Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic
The megafauna and associated behavioral traces of two deep-sea benthic environments, the central Arctic and Antarctic, with a surface primary productivity differential of 10 4 were compared to assess the role of food availability in foraging strategy and community structure. Bottom photographs, anal...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1978
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0094837300005844 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0094837300005844 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0094837300005844 2024-09-15T17:43:05+00:00 Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic Kitchell, Jennifer A. Kitchell, James F. Johnson, G. Leonard Hunkins, Kenneth L. 1978 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0094837300005844 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0094837300005844 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Paleobiology volume 4, issue 2, page 171-180 ISSN 0094-8373 1938-5331 journal-article 1978 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0094837300005844 2024-07-24T04:04:01Z The megafauna and associated behavioral traces of two deep-sea benthic environments, the central Arctic and Antarctic, with a surface primary productivity differential of 10 4 were compared to assess the role of food availability in foraging strategy and community structure. Bottom photographs, analyzed for megafauna and trace density and diversity at comparable depths in the Arctic Canada Basin and the Antarctic Bellingshausen Basin, indicated that trace frequency was inversely proportional to organism density but that trace diversity directly reflected organism diversity. Those traces identified in the fossil record to represent efficient foraging strategies, i.e., the Nereites facies, were conspicuously absent at all depths in the Arctic and present at all depths in the Antarctic, in contradiction of the paradigm of increasing behavioral complexity and sediment exploitation as food availability decreases. Presence or absence of surface-grazing organisms seems to exert a greater influence on trace diversity than depth or nutrient supply. Trace density, however, may reflect episodic sedimentation events which intermittently influence the deep-sea trophic regime. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic canada basin Central Arctic Cambridge University Press Paleobiology 4 2 171 180 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
The megafauna and associated behavioral traces of two deep-sea benthic environments, the central Arctic and Antarctic, with a surface primary productivity differential of 10 4 were compared to assess the role of food availability in foraging strategy and community structure. Bottom photographs, analyzed for megafauna and trace density and diversity at comparable depths in the Arctic Canada Basin and the Antarctic Bellingshausen Basin, indicated that trace frequency was inversely proportional to organism density but that trace diversity directly reflected organism diversity. Those traces identified in the fossil record to represent efficient foraging strategies, i.e., the Nereites facies, were conspicuously absent at all depths in the Arctic and present at all depths in the Antarctic, in contradiction of the paradigm of increasing behavioral complexity and sediment exploitation as food availability decreases. Presence or absence of surface-grazing organisms seems to exert a greater influence on trace diversity than depth or nutrient supply. Trace density, however, may reflect episodic sedimentation events which intermittently influence the deep-sea trophic regime. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kitchell, Jennifer A. Kitchell, James F. Johnson, G. Leonard Hunkins, Kenneth L. |
spellingShingle |
Kitchell, Jennifer A. Kitchell, James F. Johnson, G. Leonard Hunkins, Kenneth L. Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic |
author_facet |
Kitchell, Jennifer A. Kitchell, James F. Johnson, G. Leonard Hunkins, Kenneth L. |
author_sort |
Kitchell, Jennifer A. |
title |
Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic |
title_short |
Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic |
title_full |
Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic |
title_fullStr |
Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the Arctic and Antarctic |
title_sort |
abyssal traces and megafauna: comparison of productivity, diversity and density in the arctic and antarctic |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1978 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0094837300005844 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0094837300005844 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic canada basin Central Arctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic canada basin Central Arctic |
op_source |
Paleobiology volume 4, issue 2, page 171-180 ISSN 0094-8373 1938-5331 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0094837300005844 |
container_title |
Paleobiology |
container_volume |
4 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
171 |
op_container_end_page |
180 |
_version_ |
1810489921350139904 |