In Antarctica discovered hundreds of mummy penguins who died 750 years ago

Zoologists have found evidence of two massive extinctions of Adélie penguin colonies that occurred about 750 and 200 years ago. They found on the east coast of Antarctica a hundred bird mummies, hidden under a layer of snow.

This has been reported in the journal Geophysical Research.

The researchers explain these events of heavy rains that forced the animals to leave many sub-colonies. These weather conditions are expected to become more frequent as a result of climate changes that will make mass extinctions more likely.

Global climate change on the planet has very different consequences, affecting both individual species and whole ecosystems. In particular, scientists fear an increase in rainfall in some areas, which could lead to a shift in climate zones. Although a recent analysis has revealed widespread changes, researchers in recent decades have repeatedly pointed to the increase in snowfall in Antarctica, which has resulted in the death of local residents, including the Adelie penguin.

A group of scientists under the direction of Yasun Gao (Gao Yuesong) of China University of Science and Technology studied the remains of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) on the Long Peninsula near the coast and Ingrid Christensen . In this area, zoologists have discovered many abandoned colonies, as well as remains of birds and their parts – mostly small ones. In some places, the death toll has reached 10-15 per square meter.

To find out what was the cause of extinction, the researchers conducted a radiocarbon dating of human remains. In combination with the chemical analysis of the sediments in which the mummies were found, the researchers concluded that the massive death of the birds occurred in two stages: about 750 and about 200 years old. Some remains also belonged to the modern era.

The scarcity of such events, according to scientists, suggests that they were caused by extreme weather anomalies. The increase in summer precipitation or snowmelt can lead to hypothermia and, as a result, a low survival rate in chickens: observations have shown that in recent decades several colonies have disappeared. Research on the surrounding area, particularly rocks and ice, argues in favor of the Gao group hypothesis, but it is impossible to say with certainty. Zoologists have noted that climate trends observed in recent decades in the Arctic, particularly increased precipitation, may also result in a massive loss of Adélie penguins.