Abstract
Remains of tardigrades have rarely been reported to preserve in sediments, resulting in the absence of important ecological and biogeographic information that they could provide. However, a study of faunal microfossils in Antarctic lake sediment cores has shown that tardigrade eggs and occasionally exuvia can be abundant. Eggs from at least five tardigrade species were identified in sediment cores from six lakes from across the continent, with abundances up to 6,000 (g−1 dry wt.). It is likely that the cold temperatures and absence of benthic grazers in Antarctic lakes results in particularly good preservation conditions, though it may also be a function of population density. The conservation of tardigrade eggs and exuvia in lake sediments enables a better understanding of paleodistributions and effects of environmental changes for this phylum that cannot otherwise be obtained.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Nigel Marley and the University of Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre for provision of the SEM images. We also thank the following for supplying core material; Ass. Prof. Rolf Zale (Lake Boeckella), Prof. Antonio Quesada (Limnopolar Lake) and Dr. Dominic Hodgson (Progress Lake and Lake Reid). Acquisition of 14C dates was funded by the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (05063, 04067). Funding for this research was provided by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (DP0342815) and an Australian Antarctic Science grant (2387). Figure 3a and 3b reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd from Gibson, JAE and Zale, R, Holocene development of the fauna of Lake Boeckella, northern Antarctic Peninsula, Copyright (©SAGE Publications, 2006). Figure 2 base map was supplied by the Australian Antarctic Division. Louise Cromer is funded by the University of Tasmania Board of Graduates Research Scholarship. We also appreciate the comments of the reviewers.
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Cromer, L., Gibson, J.A.E., McInnes, S.J. et al. Tardigrade remains from lake sediments. J Paleolimnol 39, 143–150 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-007-9102-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-007-9102-5