Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica).
During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Antarctic ice sheets expanded onto the continental shelf and thickened to several hundred meters above the present sea level in coastal areas. As a result, Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) were pushed out from their ancestral colonies and settled in ic...
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Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group and International Association of Geomorphologists
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ftunivpisairis:oai:arpi.unipi.it:11568/133845 2024-04-14T08:00:15+00:00 Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica). BARONI, CARLO SALVATORE, MARIA CRISTINA LORENZINI S. LAMBERT D. Baroni, Carlo Salvatore, MARIA CRISTINA Lorenzini, S. Lambert, D. 2009 http://hdl.handle.net/11568/133845 eng eng Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group and International Association of Geomorphologists country:AUS place:Melbourne info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/isbn/1877040746 ispartofbook:Ancient Landscape – Modern Perspectives, Conference Abstracts 7th International Conference on Geomorphology (ANZIAG) http://hdl.handle.net/11568/133845 Adelie penguin Last Glacial Maximum Abandoned penguin colonie ornithogenic soil DNA sequence environmental change Antarctica info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject 2009 ftunivpisairis 2024-03-21T18:30:33Z During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Antarctic ice sheets expanded onto the continental shelf and thickened to several hundred meters above the present sea level in coastal areas. As a result, Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) were pushed out from their ancestral colonies and settled in ice-free coastal areas. Along the Victoria Land coast we found evidence of penguins colonization predating the LGM, well preserved below glacially deformed marine deposits and thin glacial drift. After the deglaciation, Adélie Penguins recolonized their ancestral nesting sites on newly released ice-free coastal terrains. Almost half the estimated world population of Adélie penguins (about 5 million individuals) breed in the Ross Sea where, at present, some 40 colonies are found. An accurate geomorphological survey of ice-free areas allowed us to discover tens of Holocene relict colonies, identified in areas where the Adélies do not nest at present. Penguin material is preserved in ornithogenic soils below abandoned nesting sites, where we found organic material formed by the accumulation of penguin guano, as well as bone, skin, feathers and eggshells. Datable penguin organic remains recovered from ornithogenic soils through stratigraphic excavation have been used to reconstruct a chronology of penguin occupation during Late Pleistocene and Holocene periods. For their excellent preservation, penguin remains from ornithogenic soils have proven a powerful tool in multiple areas of research. The isotopic record of Adélie penguin remains (eggs and guano) supply new insights into the past feeding penguin behaviour and, on a larger scale, about the paleoecological conditions of Antarctica. Finally, ancient DNA sequences of Adélie penguin’s bones supply new insights for estimating any genetic responses to Antarctic environmental changes during the past > 30,000 yrs. This allowed us to better define the evolutionary trends of Adélie penguin and the Holocene climatic and environmental background. Conference Object Adelie penguin Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Pygoscelis adeliae Ross Sea Victoria Land ARPI - Archivio della Ricerca dell'Università di Pisa Antarctic Guano ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) Ross Sea The Antarctic Victoria Land |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
ARPI - Archivio della Ricerca dell'Università di Pisa |
op_collection_id |
ftunivpisairis |
language |
English |
topic |
Adelie penguin Last Glacial Maximum Abandoned penguin colonie ornithogenic soil DNA sequence environmental change Antarctica |
spellingShingle |
Adelie penguin Last Glacial Maximum Abandoned penguin colonie ornithogenic soil DNA sequence environmental change Antarctica BARONI, CARLO SALVATORE, MARIA CRISTINA LORENZINI S. LAMBERT D. Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica). |
topic_facet |
Adelie penguin Last Glacial Maximum Abandoned penguin colonie ornithogenic soil DNA sequence environmental change Antarctica |
description |
During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Antarctic ice sheets expanded onto the continental shelf and thickened to several hundred meters above the present sea level in coastal areas. As a result, Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) were pushed out from their ancestral colonies and settled in ice-free coastal areas. Along the Victoria Land coast we found evidence of penguins colonization predating the LGM, well preserved below glacially deformed marine deposits and thin glacial drift. After the deglaciation, Adélie Penguins recolonized their ancestral nesting sites on newly released ice-free coastal terrains. Almost half the estimated world population of Adélie penguins (about 5 million individuals) breed in the Ross Sea where, at present, some 40 colonies are found. An accurate geomorphological survey of ice-free areas allowed us to discover tens of Holocene relict colonies, identified in areas where the Adélies do not nest at present. Penguin material is preserved in ornithogenic soils below abandoned nesting sites, where we found organic material formed by the accumulation of penguin guano, as well as bone, skin, feathers and eggshells. Datable penguin organic remains recovered from ornithogenic soils through stratigraphic excavation have been used to reconstruct a chronology of penguin occupation during Late Pleistocene and Holocene periods. For their excellent preservation, penguin remains from ornithogenic soils have proven a powerful tool in multiple areas of research. The isotopic record of Adélie penguin remains (eggs and guano) supply new insights into the past feeding penguin behaviour and, on a larger scale, about the paleoecological conditions of Antarctica. Finally, ancient DNA sequences of Adélie penguin’s bones supply new insights for estimating any genetic responses to Antarctic environmental changes during the past > 30,000 yrs. This allowed us to better define the evolutionary trends of Adélie penguin and the Holocene climatic and environmental background. |
author2 |
Baroni, Carlo Salvatore, MARIA CRISTINA Lorenzini, S. Lambert, D. |
format |
Conference Object |
author |
BARONI, CARLO SALVATORE, MARIA CRISTINA LORENZINI S. LAMBERT D. |
author_facet |
BARONI, CARLO SALVATORE, MARIA CRISTINA LORENZINI S. LAMBERT D. |
author_sort |
BARONI, CARLO |
title |
Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica). |
title_short |
Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica). |
title_full |
Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica). |
title_fullStr |
Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica). |
title_full_unstemmed |
Adélie Penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in Victoria Land (Antarctica). |
title_sort |
adélie penguins relict colonies provide evidence of environmental and ecological changes in victoria land (antarctica). |
publisher |
Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group and International Association of Geomorphologists |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11568/133845 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) |
geographic |
Antarctic Guano Ross Sea The Antarctic Victoria Land |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Guano Ross Sea The Antarctic Victoria Land |
genre |
Adelie penguin Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Pygoscelis adeliae Ross Sea Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Adelie penguin Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Pygoscelis adeliae Ross Sea Victoria Land |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/isbn/1877040746 ispartofbook:Ancient Landscape – Modern Perspectives, Conference Abstracts 7th International Conference on Geomorphology (ANZIAG) http://hdl.handle.net/11568/133845 |
_version_ |
1796318905604505600 |