The mummified seals of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica

Controls on the distribution of productivity and organic resources in Antarctic Dry Valley soils

“…Mummified seal carcasses are relatively frequent occurrences in the Dry Valleys and have persisted because of the cold and drying conditions (Péwé et al 1959;Claridge 1961;Webb & Leckie 1977). Although apparent radiocarbon ages up to millennia have been reported for mummified seals and penguins in the Dry Valleys, the large 14 C depletion of the Antarctic marine reservoir makes these substantial over-estimates, and ages in the range of a few decades to two to three centuries are more realistic (Dort 1971(Dort , 1981Mabin 1986). At the sites of deposition these subsidies could make a major contribution to biological processes in soils, at least when and where there is liquid water, and Lewis-Smith (1997) hypothesized that nutrient enrichment adjacent to mummified soils encourages colonization of the soil surface by lichens.…”

Rapid microbial response to the presence of an ancient relic in the Antarctic Dry Valleys

“…S ince Scott's 1901-1904 Discovery expedition, mummified seals have been reported in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica in locations up to 66 km inland and 1,800 m above sea level [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] . These curious, twisted remnants of bone and desiccated flesh (Fig.…”

“…1a) are many hundreds of years old, preserved by extremely cold and arid conditions 1,2,5,6 . Why they journey over such challenging terrain to arrive at these remote resting places is unknown and has generated much speculation 2,4,5 , and theories have ranged from the random dispersal of disoriented pups during prolonged bad weather 2 to outbreaks of phocine distemper virus 6 . Meanwhile, the ecological significance of the phenomenon has remained unexplored.…”

Report of a mummified leopard seal carcass in the southern Dry Valleys, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

“…It is possible that this was actually Garwood Valley as Dort (1971) reports that Péwé found 20 mummified carcasses in and near Garwood Valley. However, Péwé et al (1959) report that the identity of their leopard seal was confirmed ''from a lower jaw of the carcass'' suggesting that the jaw was removed for identification.…”