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A new Antarctic foraminiferal species for detecting climate change in sub-Recent glacier-proximal sediments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2009

Wojciech Majewski*
Affiliation:
Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland
Andrzej Tatur
Affiliation:
Department of Antarctic Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ustrzycka 10/12, 02-141 Warszawa, Poland
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Abstract

Cribroelphidium webbi sp. nov. is the only adequately described sub-Recent elphidiid foraminifer from Antarctica. In Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands), it is found at several locations within inner fiord setting at water depths between 33 and 165 m, but most commonly shallower than 100 m. In outer basins this foraminifer is absent. In the cores analysed, C. webbi sp. nov. is present in well-constrained sub-Recent horizons that are clearly related to climate warming and deglaciation. These horizons represent a diachronous facies marker rather than a single stratigraphic layer. Cribroelphidium webbi sp. nov. shows clear association with retreating tidewater glaciers, therefore it is an important sensitive glacier-proximal indicator. It appears that it shares similar ecologic affinities with Cribroelphidium excavatum clavatum, which is widely distributed throughout the Arctic.

Information

Type
Biological Sciences
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2009
Figure 0

Fig. 1 The location of a. King George Island, b. Admiralty Bay, and c. sampling stations. Dark grey indicates inland glacier-free areas (Battke 1990), light grey within the fjord indicates areas freed by the retreating tidewater glacier since ad 1956 (Braun & Gossmann 2002). The bathymetric contour lines in metres after Straten (1996). Cores marked by names, surface samples not marked except sites 7, 13, and 21 where holotype, paratypes, and “living” specimens of C. webbi were found.

Figure 1

Table I Core discussed in this study. See Fig. 1 for core locations.

Figure 2

Fig. 2 Foraminiferal frequencies (specimens per gram of dry sediment), granulometric data (%> 150 μm and> 2 mm fraction, the later marked in darker grey), and stable isotopic data, from selected cores. Note Cribroelphidium webbi frequencies marked in black. For full names of foraminiferal species, refer to Appendix B.

Figure 3

Fig. 3 Foraminiferal frequencies (specimens per gram of dry sediment), granulometric data (%> 150 μm and> 2 mm fraction, the later marked in darker grey), and stable isotopic data, from selected cores. Stable isotopic results on opaque and transparent Globocassidulina biora specimens mark in grey and black, respectively. Note C. webbi frequencies marked in black. For full names of foraminiferal species, refer to Appendix B.

Figure 4

Fig. 4 δ18O vs δ13C values measured on Globocassidulina biora (black circles) and C. webbi (grey squares) from the same depths of selected cores, indicated on the graph.

Figure 5

Fig. 5 Cribroelphidium webbi sp. nov.; 1. 21, 3–4 cm (holotype ZPAL F.45/1), 1a. Apertural face and apertures, 1b. Umbiliculus and the last suture. 2. Apertural face with radiating grooves, DG, 10–12 cm, 3. Cross section, 13, 2–3 cm. 4. Apertural face and apertures, 13, 10–15 cm. Core symbol and sites numbers as on Fig. 1.

Figure 6

Fig. 6 Cribroelphidium webbi sp. nov.; 1, 2. 13, 2–3 cm, 3. 13, 10–15 cm (paratype ZPAL F.45/2), 4, 8. 13, 8–9 cm, 5, 7 21, 8–9 cm, 6. 7, 6–7 cm (paratype ZPAL F.45/3), 9. 13, 9–10 cm, 10. 21, 9–10 cm. Sites numbers as on Fig 1.