Sedimentary DNA insights into Holocene Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) populations and ecology in the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

ABSTRACT: We report 156 sediment metagenomes from Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colonies dating back 6000 years along the Ross Sea coast, Antarctica, and identify marine and terrestrial eukaryotes, including locally occurring bird and seal species. The data reveal spatiotemporal patterns of Adélie penguin diet, including spatial patterns in consumption of cnidarians, a historically overlooked component of Adélie penguin diets. Relative proportions of Adélie penguin mitochondrial lineages detected at each colony are comparable to those previously reported from bones. Elevated levels of Adélie penguin mitochondrial nucleotide diversity in upper stratigraphic samples of several active colonies are consistent with recent population growth. Moreover, the highest levels of Adélie penguin mitochondri

SUBMITTER: Wood JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11883008 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature