Collaborative Research: Exploring the Vulnerability of Southern Ocean Pinnipeds to Climate Change - An Integrated Approach

在先前资助的国家科学基金会研究的基础上，利用在干谷和维多利亚陆地海岸发现的象海豹木乃伊尸体的古生物学和古遗传学数据，这些地区现在太冷，无法支持海豹群落（miougina leonina；南方象海豹；SES）的存在。这些SES殖民地的出现和随后的消失与最近~公元前1000年全新世气候向更冷条件的重大转变是一致的。进一步分析保存下来的其他三种大量鳍足类动物的遗骸？将对食蟹动物（Lobodon carciophagus）、食蟹动物（Leptonychotes weddelli）和豹子（Hydrurga leptonyx）进行研究，以跟踪它们的种群规模（通过DNA分析揭示）和饮食（通过稳定同位素分析研究）的变化。结合这些物种之间已知的生活史差异、偏好的冰生境和生态系统敏感性，这些古气候代理数据将用于评估它们在过去~1- 2000年间对罗斯海地区气候变化的暴露和敏感性

Building on previously funded NSF research, the use of paleobiological and paleogenetic data from mummified elephant seal carcasses found along the Dry Valleys and Victoria Land Coast in areas that today are too cold to support seal colonies (Mirougina leonina; southern elephant seals; SES) supports the former existence of these seals in this region. The occurrence and then subsequent disappearance of these SES colonies is consistent with major shifts in the Holocene climate to much colder conditions at the last ~1000 years BCE). Further analysis of the preserved remains of three other abundant pinnipeds ? crabeater (Lobodon carciophagus), Weddell (Leptonychotes weddelli) and leopard (Hydrurga leptonyx) will be studied to track changes in their population size (revealed by DNA analysis) and their diet (studied via stable isotope analysis). Combined with known differences in life history, preferred ice habitat and ecosystem sensitivity among these species, this paleoclimate proxy data will be used to assess their exposure and sensitivity to climate change in the Ross Sea region during the past ~1-2,000 years