Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-28T10:05:28.826Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radiocarbon dates of snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) nest sites in central Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

W.K. Steele  and
A. Hiller
W.K. Steele
Affiliation:
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, 415 Riversdale Road, Hawthorn East, Victoria 3123, Australia
A. Hiller
Affiliation:
Arbeitsgruppe Paläoklimatologie, Quartärzentrum der Universität Leipzig, Permoserstraße 15, D-04303 Leipzig, Germany
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a radiocarbon dating study of snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) nest sites in central Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Mumiyo (a sub-fossilized accumulation of regurgitated proventricular oil) samples were collected from 15 snow petrel nest sites at nunataks in the northern Ahlmannryggen, Gjelsvikfjella, and Mühlig-Hofmannfjella.

Radiocarbon dating revealed Holocene ages of ca 8500 years and less for all but one of these mumiyo samples. A sample collected at S varthamaren in the Muhlig-Hofmannfjella was dated as old as ca 34,000 a BP, indicating that at least some areas of that mountain escaped the scouring action of glaciers during the last glacial period. Similar pre-Holocene ages have been determined for a small number of mumiyo samples in previous studies. Mumiyo accumulations from some nests indicate periods of occupation as long as 6000 years, whereas the radiocarbon age and volume of other mumiyo samples suggest short periods of frequent nesting activity. As expected, sub-samples extracted from the lower layers of mumiyo pieces generally displayed greater ages than sub-samples from upper layers of the same piece. However, there was no clear-cut correlation between the age of a mumiyo sample and its height above the present ice level. It is suspected that this lack of correlation is due to some of the mumiyo samples being displaced previously through rockfalls.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 33 , Issue 184 , January 1997 , pp. 29 - 38
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ardus, D.A. 1964. Some observations at the Tottanfjella, Dronning Maud Land. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin 3: 17–20.Google Scholar
Baroni, C., and Orombelli, G.. 1994. Abandoned penguin rookeries as Holocene paleoclimate indicators in Antarctica. Geology 22: 23–26.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolshiyanov, D., Verkulich, S., Klokov, V., Makeev, V., and Arslanov, H.. 1990. Radiocarbon dating of sediments from the Bunger Oasis (East Antarctica). In: Wand, U., and Strauch, G. (editors). Proceedings of the 5th working meeting on isotopes in nature, Leipzig, September 1989. Leipzig: Zentralinstitut für Isotopen und Strahlenforschung: 47–52.Google Scholar
Bowra, G.T., Holdgate, M.W., and Tilbrook, P.J.. 1966. Biological investigations in Tottanfjella and central Heimefrontfjella. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin 9 63–70.Google Scholar
Chief Directorate: Surveys and Mapping. 1988. Map of Robertskollen, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Cape Town: Chief Directorate: Surveys and Mapping.Google Scholar
Claassen, P., and Sharp, P.A.. 1993. Draft comprehensive environmental evaluation (CEE) of the proposed new SANAEIV facility at Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Pretoria: Department of Environment Affairs.Google Scholar
Croxall, J.P., Steele, W.K., Mclnnes, S.J., and Prince, P.A.. In press. Breeding distribution and abundance of the snow petrel Pagodroma nivea. Marine Ornithology 23 (2).Google Scholar
Dalenius, P., and Wilson, O.. 1958. On the soil fauna of the Antarctic and of the sub-Antarctic islands. The Oribatidae (Acari). Arkiv för Zoologi Series 2, 11 (23): 393–425.Google Scholar
Gordon, J.E., and Harkness, D.D.. 1992. Magnitude and geographic variations of the radiocarbon content in Antarctic marine life: implications for reservoir corrections in radiocarbon dating. Quaternary Science Reviews 11: 697–708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffiths, A.M. 1983. Factors affecting the distribution of the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) and Antarctic petrel (Thalassoica antarctica). Ardea 71: 145–150.Google Scholar
Harrington, H.J., and McGellar, I.C.. 1958. A radiocarbon date for penguin colonization of Cape Hallett, Antarctica. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 1: 571–576.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hebert, D. 1980. Carbon-14 dating of Antarctic penguin breeding sites. Beiträge zur Vogelkunde 26: 335–341.Google Scholar
Hiller, A., and Wand, U.. 1984. Radiocarbon dating of breeding places of petrels in the Antarctic. Zentralinstitut für Isotopen und Strahlenforschung Mitteilungen 89: 103–122.Google Scholar
Hiller, A., Wand, U., Kaempf, H., and Stackebrandt, W.. 1988. Occupation of the Antarctic continent by petrels during the past 35,000 years: inferences from a carbon-14 study of stomach oil deposits. Polar Biology 9: 69–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hiller, A., Hermichen, W.D., and Wand, U.. 1995. Radiocarbon-dated subfossil stomach oil deposits from petrel nesting sites: novel palaeoenvironmental records from continental Antarctica. Radiocarbon 37: 171–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krynauw, J.R., Allen, A., Auret, S.H., and von Brunn, V.. 1983. A note on breeding sites of snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea) at Robertskollen, Boreas and Passat nunataks and Johnsbrotet, western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. South African Journal of Antarctic Research 13: 51–53.Google Scholar
La Grange, J.J. 1962. Note on the birds and mammals on Marion Island and Antarctica (SANAE). Journal of the South African Biological Society 3: 27–84.Google Scholar
Lorius, C., Merlivat, L., Jouzel, J., and Pourchet, M.. 1979. A 30,000 yr isotope climatic record from Antarctic ice. Nature 280: 644–648.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Løvenskiöld, H.L. 1960. The snow petrel Pagodroma nivea nesting in Dronning Maud Land. Ibis 102: 132–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mabin, M.C.G. 1985. 14C ages for ‘Heroic Era’ penguin and seal remains from Inexpressible Island, Terra Nova Bay, North Victoria Land. New Zealand Antarctic Record 6: 24–25.Google Scholar
Mabin, M.C.G. 1986. 14C ages for ‘Heroic Era’ penguin and seal remains from Cape Evans, McMurdo Sound. New Zealand Antarctic Record 7: 19–20.Google Scholar
Mehlum, F., Gjessing, Y., Haftorn, S., and Bech, C.. 1988. Censuses of breeding Antarctic petrels Thalassoica antarctica and physical features of the breeding colony at Svarthamaren, Dronning Maud Land, with notes on breeding snow petrels Pagodroma nivea and south polar skuas Catharacta maccormicki. Polar Research 6: 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moors, P.J., Speir, T.W., and Lyon, G.L.. 1988. Soil analyses and 13C/12C ratios identify sites of deserted rockhopper penguin colonies. Auk 105: 796–799.Google Scholar
Ohta, Y. (editor). 1993. Nature environment map, Gjelsvikfjella and Western Mühlig-Hofmannfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, 1:100 000, sheets 1 and 2. Oslo: Norsk Polarinstitutt (Norsk Polarinstitutt Temakart 24).Google Scholar
Ryan, P.G., Steele, W.K., Siegfried, W.R., and Vögel, J.C.. 1992. Radiocarbon dates of snow petrel regurgitations can reveal exposure periods for nunataks in Antarctica. South African Journal of Science 88: 578–580.Google Scholar
Ryan, P.G., Watkins, B.P., Lewis-Smith, R.I., Dastych, H., Eicker, A., Foissner, W., Heatwole, H., Miller, W.R., and Thompson, G.. 1989. Biological survey of Robertskollen, western Dronning Maud Land: area description and preliminary species lists. South African Journal of Antarctic Research 19: 10–20.Google Scholar
Schaefer, T.G. 1973. Radio-echo sounding in western Dronning Maud Land, 1971. South African Journal of Antarctic Research 3: 45–52.Google Scholar
Steele, W.K., Balfour, D.A., Harris, J.M., Dastych, H., Heyns, J., and Eicker, A.. 1994. Biological survey of Vesleskarvet, northern Ahlmannryggen, western Dronning Maud Land. South African Journal of Antarctic Research 24: 3–11.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., and Braziunas, T.. 1985. Compilation of isotopic dates from Antarctica. Radiocarbon 27: 117–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verkulich, S.R., and Hiller, A.. 1994. Holocene deglaciation of the Bunger Hills revealed by 14C measurements on stomach oil deposits in snow petrel colonies. Antarctic Science 6: 395–399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehouse, I.E., Chinn, T.J.H., von Hofle, H.C., and McSaveney, M.J.. 1988. Radiocarbon contaminated penguin bones from Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. New Zealand Antarctic Record 8: 11–23.Google Scholar
Whitehouse, I.E., Chinn, T.J.H., and von Hofle, H.C.. 1989. Radiocarbon dates from raised beaches, Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. Geologisches Jahrbuch E38: 331–334.Google Scholar
Wolmarans, L.G., and Kent, L.E.. 1982. Geological investigations in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica — a synthesis. South African Journal of Antarctic Research Supplement 2: 1–93.Google Scholar