Original paper
New Holocene penguin assemblages at South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
Montalti, Diego; Hospitaleche, Carolina Acosta; Valle, Rodolfodel
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen Band 254 Heft 3 (2009), p. 349 - 357
published: Nov 1, 2009
DOI: 10.1127/0077-7749/2009/0023
ArtNo. ESP155025403006, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Early Holocene penguin assemblages were exhumed at three localities (Pingfo I, Pingfo II and Pingüi) on the coast of Potter Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The role of taphonomic processes in the preservation of these remains was evaluate in a taphonomic approach, also, the properties of penguin bones were discussed, and available data were compared with those of modern biotic communities and similar deposits from Patagonia and Antarctica. The 606 collected bones were analyzed and assigned mostly to Pygoscelis (Adelie Penguin P. adeliae and Gentoo Penguin P. papua). The high percentage of chick remains at Pingfo I and Pingüi suggests the presence of nearby breeding colonies, whereas Pingfo II represents an assemblage not so close to a breeding area, based on its preservation style.
Keywords
subfossil penguins • pygoscelis adeliae • pygoscelis papua • holocene • antarctica