Collections of penguin and seal bones were made at Cape Adare and Franklin Island for radiocarbon (14C) dating. Additional bone samples from a penguin and seal killed in 1912 were obtained at Inexpressible Island, intended for use as Antarctic bone standards. The data was collected by the SCIOPS organization and last updated in February 1983.
Use Cases
- Calibrating radiocarbon dating standards using bone samples from known historical specimens (e.g., 1912 kill date).
- Analyzing species distribution by linking bone collection locations (Cape Adare, Franklin Island, Inexpressible Island) to species type (penguin, seal).
- Studying temporal changes in Antarctic fauna by comparing bone samples from different collection events.
- Validating radiocarbon methods using bone samples submitted to the Institute of Nuclear Sciences as potential reference materials.
Strengths
- Includes bone samples from a historically documented event (animals killed in 1912).
- Collections were made from three distinct Antarctic locations: Cape Adare, Franklin Island, and Inexpressible Island.
Limitations
- Sample size is unknown, potentially small.
- Data is temporally stale, last updated in 1983.
- Specific bone measurements, radiocarbon values, and sample counts are not provided in the description.
Provenance
- Source
- SCIOPS organization, via NASA EarthData.
- Collection Method
- Field collection of bone samples for laboratory analysis.
- Time Range
- Collection includes samples from at least 1912 onward; specific range unknown.
- Freshness
- 1983-02-19
- Geography
- Antarctica: Cape Adare, Franklin Island, and Inexpressible Island.