Penguin Mummies

December 17, 2008

Since Antarctica is so cold, things don’t decompose or change very quickly. For instance, there are still clear tracks from a bulldozer that drove to Cape Crozier in the 1960s, and we just ate a delicious pack of tortillas that expired eight years ago. Human influences last a long time, so we have to be careful to leave no trace on this near-pristine landscape. Those same forces also preserve natural disturbances and events.

Each season, many penguins die at Cape Crozier (mostly chicks) – it’s just a fact of life. On bare rocks, and in cold conditions, without insects, the carcasses don’t rot much. So, everywhere you go, you’re stepping over bodies from summers past in various stages of disarray. Skuas scavenge some of the frozen meat. Many of the carcasses eventually blow away or get covered in snow. Penguins use dismembered heads and bone fragments as “rocks” to line their nests. In sheltered areas, penguin carcasses just shrivel up and sit there, bleached by sun and snow, eventually becoming mummies. Some of these may be hundreds or even thousands of years old.

Penguin Mummy

Penguin Mummies

Penguin Carcasses Are Constantly Underfoot

4 Responses to 'Penguin Mummies'

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1. A bit of little heard lnformation. What a remarkable environment.

   

   vickie

   18 Dec 08 at 1:44 am

    

2. Thank you for ‘telling it like it is’ and giving your avid followers a clear picture of the realities – from the mummies to your living conditions. You not only remove the rose-colored romanticism, you are a reminder of why we all owe such a debt of gratitude to the field workers who gather knowledge for us.

   

   ZHL

   18 Dec 08 at 5:20 am

    

3. One of my favorite things to do out there was to check the mummies and fresher carcasses for flipper bands. I found a lot! Then you can take them back to the hut, punch the number in to FoxPro, and find out when they were banded. Great blog! It really makes me miss it down there. Lisa (06/07)

   

   Lisa Sheffield Guy

   18 Dec 08 at 8:22 am

    

4. [...] Antactica Among the Penguins Each season, many penguins die at Cape Crozier (mostly chicks) – it’s just a fact of life. On bare rocks, and in cold conditions, without insects, the carcasses don’t rot much. So, everywhere you go, you’re stepping over bodies from summers past in various stages of disarray. Skuas scavenge some of the frozen meat. Many of the carcasses eventually blow away or get covered in snow. Penguins use dismembered heads and bone fragments as “rocks” to line their nests. —- This entry was posted Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 11:21 pm and is filed under Smorgasblog. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “”, url: “http://www.vianegativa.us/2008/12/17/3454/” });via e-mail or social bookmarking.  Print Welcome [...]

   

   Via Negativa

   18 Dec 08 at 5:21 pm

    

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