Specific occupation of penguins under Neoglacial cooling on the Scott Coast, Antarctica

Drastic climate change is widely believed to threaten the ecological security of penguins. Previous studies have concluded that penguins on the Scott Coast, southern Ross Sea, disappeared from similar to 2000 yr BP; two opposite hypotheses of cooling and warming have been proposed for the disappearance. Here, by identifying penguin guano and remains such as eggshell fragments, bones and feathers in a sediment profile from Dunlop Island, we found that this island was not abandoned at similar to 2000 yr BP. In addition, sedimentological evidence from Cape Ross deduced the permanent snow/ice cover at similar to 1700 yr BP, which is consistent with a Neoglacial cooling period on the Scott Coast. We suggest that Neoglacial cooling caused the widespread abandonment of penguin colonies on the Scott Coast, by the increased coastal sea ice and/or snow/ice accumulation. However, penguins persisted at particular localities due to specific topographical or oceanic conditions shielding them from the impacts of snow and ice. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Drastic climate change poses a threat to penguins' ecological security. Previous studies have suggested that penguins disappeared from the Scott Coast around 2000 years ago due to either cooling or warming. However, recent findings show that penguin colonies were not abandoned on Dunlop Island around 2000 years ago, and there was a permanent snow/ice cover around 1700 years ago, indicating a Neoglacial cooling period. The abandonment of penguin colonies on the Scott Coast was likely caused by increased coastal sea ice and/or snow/ice accumulation during this cooling period.