Erin McClymont, a paleoclimatologist at Durham University, uses kitchen freezers to store 50,000-year-old regurgitated stomach oil from Antarctic Snow Petrels. This oil, which emits a strong odor, serves as a valuable proxy for studying past climates because it contains layers of data about the birds’ diet and the sea ice environment. Researchers like McClymont use these proxies to understand changes in the Antarctic environment over thousands of years, as traditional methods like tree rings and ice cores have been extensively studied. The oil’s composition allows scientists to analyze historical climate patterns, revealing how sea ice and ecosystems have shifted over time. This research is crucial for understanding the impact of climate change on our planet.
QUESTION: How might studying ancient seabird stomach oil change our understanding of climate change and its effects on the environment?
Poop, stomach oil and ostrich eggshells keep records of Earth’s ancient climate
