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

Author

Listed:
  • Jamie R. Wood

    (University of Adelaide
    North Terrace Campus)

  • Chengran Zhou

    (BGI Research
    BGI Research)

  • Theresa L. Cole

    (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research)

  • Morgan Coleman

    (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research)

  • Dean P. Anderson

    (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research)

  • Phil O’B. Lyver

    (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research)

  • Shangjin Tan

    (BGI Research
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xueyan Xiang

    (BGI Research
    BGI Research)

  • Xinrui Long

    (BGI Research
    Shantou University)

  • Senyu Luo

    (BGI Research
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Miao Lou

    (Wuhan University)

  • John R. Southon

    (University of California-Irvine)

  • Qiye Li

    (BGI Research
    BGI Research)

  • Guojie Zhang

    (Zhejiang University Medical Center
    Zhejiang University Medical Center
    University of Copenhagen)

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 mitochondrial nucleotide diversity recovered from surface sediment layers are from the two largest colonies, indicating that sedaDNA could provide estimates for the former size of abandoned colonies. SedaDNA also reveals prior occupation of the Cape Hallett Adélie penguin colony site by southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), demonstrating how terrestrial sedaDNA can detect faunal turnover events in Antarctica driven by past climate or sea ice conditions. Low rates of cytosine deamination indicate exceptional sedaDNA preservation within the region, suggesting there is high potential for recovering much older sedaDNA records from local Pleistocene terrestrial sediments.

Suggested Citation

  • Jamie R. Wood & Chengran Zhou & Theresa L. Cole & Morgan Coleman & Dean P. Anderson & Phil O’B. Lyver & Shangjin Tan & Xueyan Xiang & Xinrui Long & Senyu Luo & Miao Lou & John R. Southon & Qiye Li & G, 2025. "Sedimentary DNA insights into Holocene Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) populations and ecology in the Ross Sea, Antarctica," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56925-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56925-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Linda Armbrecht & Michael E. Weber & Maureen E. Raymo & Victoria L. Peck & Trevor Williams & Jonathan Warnock & Yuji Kato & Iván Hernández-Almeida & Frida Hoem & Brendan Reilly & Sidney Hemming & Ian , 2022. "Ancient marine sediment DNA reveals diatom transition in Antarctica," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Kevin Nota & Jonatan Klaminder & Pascal Milesi & Richard Bindler & Alessandro Nobile & Tamara Steijn & Stefan Bertilsson & Brita Svensson & Shun K. Hirota & Ayumi Matsuo & Urban Gunnarsson & Heikki Se, 2022. "Norway spruce postglacial recolonization of Fennoscandia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Yucheng Wang & Mikkel Winther Pedersen & Inger Greve Alsos & Bianca Sanctis & Fernando Racimo & Ana Prohaska & Eric Coissac & Hannah Lois Owens & Marie Kristine Føreid Merkel & Antonio Fernandez-Guerr, 2022. "Author Correction: Late Quaternary dynamics of Arctic biota from ancient environmental genomics," Nature, Nature, vol. 603(7903), pages 31-31, March.
    4. Yucheng Wang & Mikkel Winther Pedersen & Inger Greve Alsos & Bianca Sanctis & Fernando Racimo & Ana Prohaska & Eric Coissac & Hannah Lois Owens & Marie Kristine Føreid Merkel & Antonio Fernandez-Guerr, 2022. "Author Correction: Late Quaternary dynamics of Arctic biota from ancient environmental genomics," Nature, Nature, vol. 610(7931), pages 5-5, October.
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