The palaeobiogeography of the east Antarctic freshwater fauna ...

• Main Author: Newman, Louise
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University Of Tasmania 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25959/23230190; https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/The_palaeobiogeography_of_the_east_Antarctic_freshwater_fauna/23230190

The mechanisms and timing of the colonisation of Antarctica by lacustrine freshwater fauna are unclear. Three scenarios are possible: anthropogenic introduction, dispersal to the continent following late Pleistocene or Holocene deglaciation, and survival of preglacial species in lacustrine refugia. Current distributions and dispersal modes can be used to infer the colonisation mode of a species. They cannot, however, be used to determine the minimum age of association between a species and a region, palaeodistributions, or faunal response to environmental change. This knowledge is important for understanding the adaptability and antiquity of the Antarctic fauna. Analysis of faunal microfossils preserved in lacustrine sediment cores can provide direct evidence of the timing and occurrence of these processes. Additionally, informed selection of study lakes allows the minimum age of association to be determined. This study applied this approach to three lakes that differ in glacial history, distance to coast, ...