Summary Abstract: Recent studies on the evolution of mitochondrial DNA in Adelie penguins has found high rates of mutation sparking a major controversy and raising the question of whether evolutionary rates are high because of high mutation rates or because of a low rate of haplotype extinction. As a result, this study aimed to measure the rate of mutation using DNA collected from known pedigrees and comparing it with the rate of evolution previously determined using DNA collected from ancient bones serially preserved through time. Mutation rates were determined between mitochondrial haplotypes. A series of abandoned Adelie penguin rookeries at Cape Adare was excavated and more than 1000 bones, likely to be the oldest collected in the Ross Sea, were collected. In addition, a separate party worked at sites in Terra Nova Bay including Inexpressible Island, Cape Reynolds, Coulman Island, Cape Adare, Duke of York Island, Edisto Glacier and Crater Cirque where a mixture of blood (Inexpressible Island and Coulman Island) and subfossil bones (all other sites) were collected for this study. Two methods of analysis, MCMC and a least squares regression analysis was used to estimate the rate of evolution in fossil bones, independent of tree topology (where mutation rates are calculated in a different manner). According to the neutral theory, the high rate of evolution of the control region in Adelie penguins is likely to be a consequence of a high mutation rate. Therefore, the rate of mutation for the gene sequence Hypervariable Region I (HVRI) was directly measured using >2,500 Adelie penguin families. Blood samples were collected from adults nesting penguins and their chicks at sites in Terra Nova Bay and Cape Bird.

Geographic Coverage

N: -77.0

S: -78.0

E: 170.0

W: 165.0

N: -74.5

S: -75.0

E: 165.0

W: 163.0

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2001-11-03

Stop Date: 2002-01-07

Start Date: 2002-12-04

Stop Date: 2003-01-06

Start Date: 2003-12-17

Stop Date: 2004-01-07

Start Date: 2004-12-16

Stop Date: 2005-01-11

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > CAPE BIRD CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > CAPE ADARE CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > TERRA NOVA BAY CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > CRATER CIRQUE CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > INEXPRESSIBLE ISLAND CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > COULMAN ISLAND CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > EDISTO GLACIER CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > CAPE REYNOLDS CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > DUKE OF YORK ISLANDS GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Science Keywords

AGRICULTURE >ANIMAL SCIENCE >ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS    [Definition]

BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES >BIRDS >PENGUINS

BIOSPHERE >ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS >SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS >MUTATION RATES    [Definition]

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA

Platform

FIELD INVESTIGATION    [Information]

Quality

All data is held by the investigator. Please contact him for more information.

Keywords

FIELD SAMPLING

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Data Center

Antarctica New Zealand, New Zealand Antarctic Institute, New Zealand    [Information] Data Center URL: http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/ Data Center Personnel Name: SHULAMIT GORDON Phone: +64 3 358 0200 Fax: +64 3 358 0211 Email: s.gordon at antarcticanz.govt.nz Contact Address: Antarctica New Zealand Private Bag 4745 City: Christchurch Country: New Zealand

Personnel

DAVID LAMBERT Role: INVESTIGATOR Phone: +61 7 373 55298 Fax: +61 7 373 57459 Email: d.lambert at griffith.edu.at Contact Address: Griffith School of Environment Griffith School of Biomolecular and Physical Science Griffith University 170 Kessels Road City: Nathan Province or State: Queensland Postal Code: 4111 Country: Australia

CEISHA POIROT Role: DIF AUTHOR Phone: +64 3 358 0200 Fax: +64 3 358 0211 Email: c.poirot at antarcticanz.govt.nz Contact Address: Antarctica New Zealand Private Bag 4745 City: Christchurch Country: New Zealand

SHULAMIT GORDON Role: DIF AUTHOR Phone: +64 3 358 0200 Fax: +64 3 358 0211 Email: s.gordon at antarcticanz.govt.nz Contact Address: Antarctica New Zealand Private Bag 4745 City: Christchurch Country: New Zealand

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2008-10-06 Last DIF Revision Date: 2010-12-08

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