18
R. K. DELG
South Georgia in the Antarctic region, one must include a large number
of Magellanic and Subantarctic species which k d their southern limit
in South Georgia. If one uses such a list to calculate the percentage of
endemism, the total number of Antarctic species becomes unbalanced.
On the other hand if South Georgia is rigorously excluded from the
Antarctic, then many species cannot be claimed to be Antarctic endemics. Cailleux solves his immediate problem for his analysis by
excluding the northern species which also occur in South Georgia from
his calculations, and by classing as endemic to the Antarctic those
species which also occur in South Georgia. South Georgia is perhaps the
most difficult problem in analysing the relationships of Antarctic fauna,
but it really only points the self evident fact that the percentage of
endemic forms will alter with the boundary accepted for any particular
region. The percentage of endemism found in any particular square
kilometre will be O%, the percentage for the whole world must be
100% (Cailleux, 1961).
111. HISTORY OF BENTHIU INVESTIGATIONS
An extremely large number of expeditions of one sort or another
have visited Antarctica. Roberts (1958) has provided a magnificent
source of information in listing them up to the beginning of the International Geophysical Year in July 1957. The earliest beginnings of
human intrusion into Antarctic waters are poorly documented and will
probably never be better known. Proper documentation really begins
in the 1770s when the fringes of Antarctica began to be explored as part
of the general exploration of the Southern Hemisphere and the southern
Indo-Pacific in particular. Two French expeditions skirted the Subantarctic with Kerguelen-Tremarec (1 77 1-72) discovering Kerguelen
Island, and Marion-Dufresne (1771-72) Prince Edward Islands and
Iles Crozets.
The Antarctic Circle was f2st crossed by literate man on 17 January
1773 in about longitude 39"E by the two vessels, Adventure and
Resolution on the second voyage of Captain James Cook. The circle was
crossed several more times on this expedition which reached 7lo10'S,
charting South Georgia and discovering the South Sandwich Group.
The results of Cook's voyage were largely geographical in relation to the
Antarctic, although observations were carried out on birds. Certainly
no benthic Antarctic animals were recorded.
Following accounts of Cook's discoveries British sealers began to
exploit seals at South Georgia in 1778, to be followed rapidly by American interests. As seals of one species or another were decimated in one
area, operations were extended from the Falklands to South Georgia,
R. K. DELG
South Georgia in the Antarctic region, one must include a large number
of Magellanic and Subantarctic species which k d their southern limit
in South Georgia. If one uses such a list to calculate the percentage of
endemism, the total number of Antarctic species becomes unbalanced.
On the other hand if South Georgia is rigorously excluded from the
Antarctic, then many species cannot be claimed to be Antarctic endemics. Cailleux solves his immediate problem for his analysis by
excluding the northern species which also occur in South Georgia from
his calculations, and by classing as endemic to the Antarctic those
species which also occur in South Georgia. South Georgia is perhaps the
most difficult problem in analysing the relationships of Antarctic fauna,
but it really only points the self evident fact that the percentage of
endemic forms will alter with the boundary accepted for any particular
region. The percentage of endemism found in any particular square
kilometre will be O%, the percentage for the whole world must be
100% (Cailleux, 1961).
111. HISTORY OF BENTHIU INVESTIGATIONS
An extremely large number of expeditions of one sort or another
have visited Antarctica. Roberts (1958) has provided a magnificent
source of information in listing them up to the beginning of the International Geophysical Year in July 1957. The earliest beginnings of
human intrusion into Antarctic waters are poorly documented and will
probably never be better known. Proper documentation really begins
in the 1770s when the fringes of Antarctica began to be explored as part
of the general exploration of the Southern Hemisphere and the southern
Indo-Pacific in particular. Two French expeditions skirted the Subantarctic with Kerguelen-Tremarec (1 77 1-72) discovering Kerguelen
Island, and Marion-Dufresne (1771-72) Prince Edward Islands and
Iles Crozets.
The Antarctic Circle was f2st crossed by literate man on 17 January
1773 in about longitude 39"E by the two vessels, Adventure and
Resolution on the second voyage of Captain James Cook. The circle was
crossed several more times on this expedition which reached 7lo10'S,
charting South Georgia and discovering the South Sandwich Group.
The results of Cook's voyage were largely geographical in relation to the
Antarctic, although observations were carried out on birds. Certainly
no benthic Antarctic animals were recorded.
Following accounts of Cook's discoveries British sealers began to
exploit seals at South Georgia in 1778, to be followed rapidly by American interests. As seals of one species or another were decimated in one
area, operations were extended from the Falklands to South Georgia,