Abstract

Two samples of snow petrel Pagodroma nivea mumiyo (solidified stomach oil) from Heimefrontfjella (74A degrees 34'36aEuro(3)S, 11A degrees 13'24aEuro(3)W) in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, were radiocarbon dated at 37,400 +/- A 1,500 and 3,120 +/- A 70 years old (dates are corrected for the 'reservoir effect'). The age of the older sample provides further evidence that snow petrel colonies have existed in the mountain peaks of Dronning Maud Land since before the last glacial maximum (approx. 20,000-16,000 years ago). This finding also pushes back the estimated timing of establishment of snow petrel breeding colonies in this part of the continent by several thousand years. The variation in the accumulation rates of these two samples (1.6 and 35.2 mm per millennium, respectively) supports previous observations that mumiyo accumulation rates are highly variable and probably relate to site-specific factors affecting accumulation and degradation of the oil. Studies that help us understand historical bird population distributions in continental Antarctica can significantly aid the development and refinement of models that explain glacial advancement and retreat, the relationship between sea ice and population viability and, perhaps, predict species responses to future climate shifts.

Keywords

Antarctica; Radiocarbon dating; Seabird colonies; South Polar Skua; Nest occupancy

Published in

Polar Biology
2011, Volume: 34, number: 4, pages: 609-613
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• Thor, Göran

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Low, Matthew

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0912-y

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/47070