Discovery Metadata System

Radiocarbon dates for snow petrel stomach-oil deposits (Antarctic mumiyo) from East Antarctica


GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/02174

Page Links

Jump To:


Related Links

Summary

Abstract:
Stomach-oil deposits from snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea), sometimes referred to as 'Antarctic mumiyo', are found at nest sites in Antarctica. The top and bottom radiocarbon dates of these deposits are used to bracket the interval of snow petrel occupation at the nest sites and determine snow petrel distributions over the last ~50,000 years. Here we present the results from 122 new deposits recovered and analysed by this study from snow petrel nest sites in East Antarctica, spanning Coats Land (n=68), Dronning Maud Land (n=43) , and the Sor Rondane Mountains (n=10) (between 30 degrees West and 23 degrees East). Our new data is supplemented by revised radiocarbon age calibrations of existing published work (182 deposits), given the release of the new radiocarbon calibration curve MARINE20 (Heaton et al., 2020) and new considerations of the treatment of polar radiocarbon age calibrations over glacial-interglacial cycles (Heaton et al., 2023) since the original publications were made.

Funding was provided by H2020 European Research Council Consolidator Grant 'Antarctic Sea Ice Evolution from a novel biological archive' (ANTSIE, grant no. 864637), The Leverhulme Trust (Philip Leverhulme Research Leadership Award, grant no. RL-2019-023), and NERC Standard Grant NE/K003674/1.

Keywords:
Holocene, Last Glacial Maximum, Radiocarbon, Sea ice, Snow Petrel

Top

Citation

McClymont, E., Bentley, M., Hodgson, D., Cole, Y., Damm-Johnsen, T., Grecian, W., Honan, E., Li, Z., Penny, C., Strong, K., Stevenson, M., Wakefield, E., Wardley, T., & Phillips, R. (2026). Radiocarbon dates for snow petrel stomach-oil deposits (Antarctic mumiyo) from East Antarctica (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/fecd8c1f-81dd-410a-b8e6-7cfec411e4c0

Top

Access Data

GET DATA

PROJECT HOME PAGE

REFERENCE MATERIALS

REFERENCE MATERIALS

REFERENCE MATERIALS

RELATED DATA SET METADATA

Top

Constraints

Access Constraints:  Under embargo until publication of the associated manuscript.
Use Constraints: This data is governed by the NERC data policy (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/sites/data/policy/) and supplied under Open Government Licence v.3 (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/).

Top

Basic Information

Creation Date: 2026-04-08
Dataset Progress: Complete
Dataset Language: English
ISO Topic Categories:  
  • Biota
Parameters:
  • Biosphere > Animal Taxonomy > Birds
  • Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics
  • Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Excretion
  • Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Population Dynamics
  • Paleoclimate > Land Records > Radiocarbon
Personnel:
Name UK Polar Data Centre
Role(s) Metadata Author
Organisation British Antarctic Survey
   
Name Erin L McClymont
Role(s) Investigator, Technical Contact
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Prof Michael J Bentley
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Dr Dominic A Hodgson
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation British Antarctic Survey
   
Name Yasmin Cole
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Thale Damm-Johnsen
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name W James Grecian
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Eleanor M Honan
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Zhongxuan Li
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Claire E Penny
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Kerry A Strong
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Mark A Stevenson
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Ewan Wakefield
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Thomas Wardley
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation Durham University
   
Name Prof Richard A Phillips
Role(s) Investigator
Organisation British Antarctic Survey
   
Parent Dataset: N/A

Top

Additional Information

Reference: The article associated with this dataset is currently under review.

The authors have re-calibrated previously published radiocarbon dates from the following papers and cited in the dataset:

Ainley, D. G. et al. Holocene variation in the Antarctic coastal food web: linking deltaD and delta13C in snow petrel diet and marine sediments. Marine Ecology Progress Series 306, 31-40 (2006). https://doi.org/10.3354/meps306031

Berg, S., White, D. A., Hermichen, W.-D. & Emmerson, L. Late Holocene colonisation of snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea) of the Prince Charles Mountains, Antarctica. Polar Biology 42, 1167-1173 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-019-02509-0

Berg, S. et al. Evaluation of Mumiyo Deposits From East Antarctica as Archives for the Late Quaternary Environmental and Climatic History. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 20, 260-276 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GC008054

Hiller, A., Hermichen, W.-D. & Wand, U. Radiocarbon-dated subfossil stomach oil deposits from petrel nesting sites: novel paleoenvironmental records from continental Antarctica. Radiocarbon 37, 171-180 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033822200030617

Hiller, A., Wand, U., Kampft, H. & Stackebrandt, W. Occupation of the Antarctic Continent by Petrels Durig the Past 35 000 Years: Inferences from a 14C Study of Stomach Oil Deposits. Polar Biology 9, 69-77 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442032

Kiernan, K., McConnell, A., Colhoun, E. & Lawson, E. RADIOCARBON DATING OF MUMIYO FROM THE VESTFOLD HILLS, EAST ANTARCTICA. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 136, 141-144 (2002). https://doi.org/10.26749/rstpp.136.141

Kiernan, K. et al. Deglaciation and weathering of Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. Antartic science 21, 373-382 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102009002028


P. Lintinen & K. Nenonen. Glacial history of the Vestfjella and Heimefrontfjella Nunatak Ranges in Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. in The Antarctic Region: Geological Evolution and Processes 845-852 (1997).

Ryan, P. G., Steele, W. K., Siegfried, W. R. & Vogel, J. C. Ryan 1992 Radiocarbon dates of snow petrel regurgitations can reveal exposure periods for nunataks in Antarctica. South African Journal of Science 88, 578-580 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247400014145

Steele, W. K. & Hiller, A. Radiocarbon dates of snow petrel ( Pagodroma nivea ) nest sites in central Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Polar Record 33, 29-38 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247400014145

Thor, G. & Low, M. The persistence of the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) in Dronning Maud Land (Antarctica) for over 37,000 years. Polar Biology 34, 609-613 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0912-y

Verkulich, S. R. & Hiller, A. Holocene deglaciation of the Bunger Hills revealed by 14 C measurements on stomach oil deposits in snow petrel colonies. Antartic science 6, 395-399 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102094000593

Wand, U. & Hermichen, W.-D. Late Quaternary Ice Level Changes in Central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, as Inferred from 14C ages of Mumiyo Deposits in Snow Petrel Colonies. Geol Jahrbuch B97, 237-254 (2005). https://doi.org/10013/epic.13865

The radiocarbon calibration methods are cited as follows:

Björck, S., Hjort, C., Ingolfsson, O. & Skog, G. Radiocarbon dates from the Antarctic Peninsula - problems and potential. in Radiocarbon Dating: Recent Applications and Future Potential (ed. Lowe, J. J.) 55-65, Quaternary Research Association, Cambridge (1991).

Bronk Ramsey, C. Bayesian Analysis of Radiocarbon Dates. Radiocarbon 51, 337-360 (2009). DOI:10.2458/azu_js_rc.51.3494

Heaton, T. J. et al. Marine20-The Marine Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0-55,000 cal BP). Radiocarbon 62, 779-820 (2020). doi:10.1017/RDC.2020.68

Heaton, T.J. et al. Marine Radiocarbon Calibration in Polar Regions: A Simple Approximate Approach using Marine20. Radiocarbon 65, 848-875 (2023). doi:10.1017/RDC.2023.42

Stuiver, M. & Reimer, P. J. Extended 14C Data Base and Revised CALIB 3.0 14C Age Calibration Program. Radiocarbon 35, 215-230 (1993). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033822200013904
Quality: We only report results for samples which were measured. For some deposits only a basal date was available. Those samples where radiocarbon content could not be distinguished above background levels are indicated by the value -999. For samples close to modern, calibration only yielded a lower age, because the results impinged on the end of the calibration curve and could not generate an upper or median age.

Missing values are indicated by N/A.
Lineage/Methodology: New deposits were collected in the field at nest sites which were not occupied by snow petrels during that season. Deposits were retrieved by levering the deposit from the underlying bedrock or sediment using a broad chisel. The deposit was wrapped in a cloth or plastic bag, padded with bubble wrap, and wrapped in a second plastic bag and securely taped. Deposits were kept frozen (-20 degrees C) during transport to Durham University and prior to sub-sampling. Each deposit was sliced using a circular saw rinsed with deionised water while still frozen. Sub-sampling for radiocarbon analysis was undertaken with 2.0 mm biopsy punches and transferred to clean glass vials. Where a surface crust was evident, usually paler in colour than the rest of the deposit, sub-samples were taken immediately below the crust where the deposit had not been altered. New radiocarbon ages presented here were generated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) by either Beta Analytic (Miami, USA), the 14CHRONO Centre at Queen's University Belfast (UK), or the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) Environmental Radiocarbon Laboratory (UK). We supplemented our new radiocarbon measurements with previously published data from 127 sites extending from 30 degrees West to 101 degrees East. All radiocarbon ages were converted to calendar ages using the MARINE20 calibration curve (Heaton et al., 2020, Radiocarbon ) in Calib8.2 (Stuiver and Reimer, 1993, Radiocarbon) and OxCal v4.4 (Bronk Ramsey, 2009, Radiocarbon).

Samples were collected during expeditions occurring between 2014-12-26 and 2024-02-22.

Top

Locality

Temporal Coverage:
Start Date 2014-12-26
End Date 2024-02-22
   
Paleo Temporal Coverage: 
Paleo Start Date 1950 CE
Paleo End Date 54,990 BP
Chronostratigraphic Unit  N/A
   
Spatial Coverage:
Latitude  
Southernmost -88.6182
Northernmost -66.1669
Longitude  
Westernmost -30.2569
Easternmost 101
Altitude  
Min Altitude 20
Max Altitude 2082
Depth  
Min Depth N/A
Max Depth N/A
   
Location:
Location Antarctica
Detailed Location   Shackleton Range
Location Antarctica
Detailed Location   Theron Mountains
Location Antarctica
Detailed Location   Heimefrontfjella
Location Antarctica
Detailed Location   Muhlig-Hofmannfjella
Location Antarctica
Detailed Location   Gjelsvikfjella
Location Antarctica
Detailed Location   Wohlthatmassiv
Location Antarctica
Detailed Location   Sor-Rondane

Top

Instrumentation

Data Collection: All radiocarbon samples were analysed by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) at the laboratories detailed above.
All radiocarbon ages were converted to calendar ages in Calib8.2 (Stuiver and Reimer, 1993, Radiocarbon). A small subset which impinged on the youngest part of the calibration curve were also analysed in and OxCal v4.4 (Bronk Ramsey, 2009, Radiocarbon).

Top

Storage

Data Storage: 3x .csv files:
Original_Calibrated_Ages.csv - radiocarbon data and calibrated ages for all samples using MARINE20 calibration curve and Holocene reservoir correction of 670 +/- 50 yr
Adjusted_Glacial_Maximum_Ages.csv - comparison of radiocarbon data and calibrated ages using MARINE20 calibration curve and Holocene reservoir correction with samples calibrated using an increased reservoir correction for those samples pre-dating the Holocene (11,700 years before present).
Reference_Lookup_Table.csv - lookup table for the abbreviated references used in the above two files

Column headers are as follows:

Reference: Source of data provided, either from this study or the published literature
location: Location of sampling named as per the Gazetteer. For some previously published locations there is no named sampling site.
region: wider region where multiple locations were sampled.
region_Fig2: Names of the regions used to sort and plot results in Figure 2 of the paper by McClymont et al. noted above.
lat_degN: Latitude of sampling site in decimal degrees N up to 5 decimal places.
long_degE: Longitude of sampling site in decimal degrees E up to 5 decimal places.
deposit_name: Name of the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) stomach-oil deposit sampled here. Stomach-oil deposits are sometimes referred to as Antarctic mumiyo in the literature.
altitude_masl: Altitude at which stomach-oil deposit was collected in metres above sea level.
height_above_ice: Height of stomach-oil deposit above the local ice-sheet elevation.
thickness: Thickness of the collected stomach-oil deposit, measured in mm.
14C_ID_top_age: The radiocarbon laboratory sample identification name for the uppermost sample in the deposit, assigned during analysis.
top_radiocarbon_age: The measured radiocarbon age for the uppermost sample in the deposit, in radiocarbon years (14C yr). -999 indicates a sample that was measured but yielded no results.
top_radiocarbon_age_uncertainty: The error given by the radiocarbon laboratory during measurement of the uppermost sample in the deposit, in radiocarbon years (14C yr).
top_median_calBP_Holo_delR: Median calendar age for the uppermost sample in the deposit generated using the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 670 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991).
top_lower_calBP_(2sigma)_Holo_delR: The lower calibrated calendar age for the uppermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 670 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991).
top_upper_calBP_(2sigma)_Holo_delR: The upper calibrated calendar age for the uppermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 670 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991).
top_median_calBP_glacial_delR: The median calibrated calendar age for the uppermost sample in the deposit, using the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 1760 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991 and Heaton et al. 2023) to take into account sea ice impacts on deltaR during glacial stages.
top_lower_calBP_(2sigma)_glacial_delR: The lower value for the calibrated calendar age range for the uppermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 1760 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991 and Heaton et al. 2023) to take into account sea ice impacts on deltaR during glacial stages.
top_upper_calBP_(2sigma)_glacial_delR: The upper value for the calibrated calendar age range for the uppermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 1760 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991 and Heaton et al. 2023) to take into account sea ice impacts on deltaR during glacial stages.
14C_ID_bottom_age: The radiocarbon laboratory sample identification name for the lowermost sample in the deposit, assigned during analysis.
bottom_radiocarbon_age: The measured radiocarbon age for the uppermost sample in the deposit, in radiocarbon years (14C yr). -999 indicates a sample that was measured but yielded no results.
bottom_radiocarbon_age_uncertainty: The error given by the radiocarbon laboratory during measurement of the lowermost sample in the deposit, in radiocarbon years (14C yr).
bottom_median_calBP_Holo_delR: Median calendar age for the lowermost sample in the deposit generated using the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 670 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991).
bottom_lower_calBP_(2sigma)_Holo_delR: The lower calibrated calendar age for the lowermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 670 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991).
bottom_upper_calBP_(2sigma)_Holo_delR: The upper calibrated calendar age for the lowermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 670 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991).
bottom_median_calBP_glacial_delR: The median calibrated calendar age for the lowermost sample in the deposit, using the MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 1760 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991 and Heaton et al. 2023) to take into account sea ice impacts on deltaR during glacial stages.
bottom_lower_calBP_(2sigma)_glacial_delR: The lower value for the calibrated calendar age range for the lowermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 1760 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991 and Heaton et al. 2023) to take into account sea ice impacts on deltaR during glacial stages.
bottom_upper_calBP_(2sigma)_glacial_delR: The upper value for the calibrated calendar age range for the lowermost sample in the deposit, using 2 sigma probability (95.4%), MARINE20 radiocarbon calibration curve (Heaton et al. 2020) and a regional deltaR of 1760 +/- 50 years (after Bjorck et al. 1991 and Heaton et al. 2023) to take into account sea ice impacts on deltaR during glacial stages.

Top