Ecosystem Functioning

Molecular ecology of Antarctic fauna

Principal Investigator: David Lambert
Organisation: Massey University

What we do: This research aims to directly measure, for the first time, the rate of evolutionary changes in microsatellite and mitochondrial genes over a substantial time frame using DNA technology to analyse samples from both existing and extinct Adélie penguin populations.

Why we do it: The data will provide fundamental knowledge about the genetic processes which underlie evolution in the Antarctic.

Some things we've found so far: By looking at the differences of microsatellite DNA from ~6000 year old penguin bones, and recent penguin material, we have been able to demonstrate microevolutionary change.

Recent Publications:
Shepherd L.D. et. al. Microevolution and mega-icebergs in the Antarctic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 2005.

Ritchie, P.A. et al. Ancient DNA enables timing of the Pleistocene origin and Holocene expansion of two Adélie penguin lineages in Antarctica. Molecular biology and evolution 21(2): 240-248, 2004. View Abstract.

Lambert, D.M. Ritchie, P.A. Millar, C.D. Holland, B. Drummond, A.J. Baroni, C. Rates of evolution in ancient DNA from Adélie penguins. Science 295: 2270-2273, 2002.

Roeder, A.D. Marshall, R.K. Mitchelson, A.J. Visagathilagar, T. Ritchie, P.A. Love, D.R. Pakai, T.J. McPartlan, H.C. Murray, N.D. Robinson, N.A. Kerry, K.R. Lambert, D.M. Gene flow on the ice: genetic differentiation among Adélie penguin colonies around Antarctica. Molecular ecology 10: 1645-1656, 2001.