Penguin Colonies and Environmental Change in the Antarctic Peninsula Region

Steven D. Emslie, Department of Biological Sciences
University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC 28403
E-mail: emslies@uncwil.edu

Sixty-three radiocarbon dates on organic remains from 21 abandoned colonies of Chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) and Adélie (P. adeliae) penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula region provide an occupation history that spans the past 6000 years. These results are compared to a recent series of 33 dates completed on penguin remains from the Ross Sea region in 2001. In both regions, the radiocarbon chronologies suggest major patterns in occupation and abandonment that closely track the environmental record. Specifically, penguin occupation in certain regions of the peninsula and the Ross Sea correlates with episodes of climatic warming based on geological and hydrological data. Moreover, gaps in the penguin chronology also may be related to environmental change, but require additional investigation. High-resolution paleoclimatic data for the mid to late Holocene is needed to better understand major fluctuations in penguin populations in Antarctica. Besides these radiocarbon chronologies, abandoned colonies also produce well-preserved organic remains that can be subjected to isotopic analyses, extraction of ancient DNA, and paleodietary studies. Collectively, this information can serve to link marine, terrestrial, and hydrological data in addressing questions on climate change and its impact in Antarctica.

See the news piece on Dr. Emslie's talk at the conference