30
R. K. DELL
Many Antarctic benthic animals have been recorded from a single
station, or from a relatively restricted geographical area. It is impossible
to decide if these species have a restricted distribution in fact, or if the
species has not as yet been collected adequately. Some of the wide
ranging species which may be considered as typical Antarctic forms are
confined strictly to the Antarctic Region (Fig. 2). Other wide ranging
species equally typical of the Antarctic biota extend their ranges into
the Subantarctic or into southern South America. The ranges of some
of those species taken from varied systematic groups are shown in
Fig. 3.
Detailed accounts of the main groups of animals follows.
A. .Foraminifera
The benthic Foraminifera of the Antarctic have been described and
discussed by a long series of authors, almost in direct inverse proportion
to their size. This is not surprising since the benthic forms are easily
collected in bulk and can often be obtained from material which has not
been primarily obtained for biological purposes, let alone for foraminiferal workers. Chapman’s paper (1916) on Foraminifera and Ostracoda
obtained from the material obtained on sounding leads on the British
Antarctic Expedition, 1907-09, is a good example. Work on the
Foraminifera in general has also been well financed because of the
obvious economic value in stratigraphy, and hence the prime importance
of the group to such economic ventures as oil prospecting. Because they
are usually the dominant organism present in sea bottom cores their
systematics and distribution have been carefully studied. These factors
have not yet affected the study of the Antarctic forms markedly but it
has meant that the literature on the group is well organized and many
of the basic systematic problems have already been thoroughly dealt
with.
Early work on the group in the Antarctic was mainly concerned with
systematics and distribution, and indeed a good deal probably remains
to be done along these lines of investigation. New species are still being
described even from such relatively well worked areas as the Ross Sea
(Kennett, 1967). The fist Antarctic species were recorded by Ehrenberg (1844) from material collected on the voyage of the Erebw and
Terror. A summary of this rather sketchily identified material is given
by Heron-Allen and Earland (1922, p. 28).
Major reports from Antarctic expeditions have been contributed by
Brady (1884), two of the Challenger deep-water stations being south of
the Antarctic Circle; Faure-Premiet (1911, 1913, 1914) from the two
French Expeditions ; Heron-Allen and Earland (1922) from Terra Nova
R. K. DELL
Many Antarctic benthic animals have been recorded from a single
station, or from a relatively restricted geographical area. It is impossible
to decide if these species have a restricted distribution in fact, or if the
species has not as yet been collected adequately. Some of the wide
ranging species which may be considered as typical Antarctic forms are
confined strictly to the Antarctic Region (Fig. 2). Other wide ranging
species equally typical of the Antarctic biota extend their ranges into
the Subantarctic or into southern South America. The ranges of some
of those species taken from varied systematic groups are shown in
Fig. 3.
Detailed accounts of the main groups of animals follows.
A. .Foraminifera
The benthic Foraminifera of the Antarctic have been described and
discussed by a long series of authors, almost in direct inverse proportion
to their size. This is not surprising since the benthic forms are easily
collected in bulk and can often be obtained from material which has not
been primarily obtained for biological purposes, let alone for foraminiferal workers. Chapman’s paper (1916) on Foraminifera and Ostracoda
obtained from the material obtained on sounding leads on the British
Antarctic Expedition, 1907-09, is a good example. Work on the
Foraminifera in general has also been well financed because of the
obvious economic value in stratigraphy, and hence the prime importance
of the group to such economic ventures as oil prospecting. Because they
are usually the dominant organism present in sea bottom cores their
systematics and distribution have been carefully studied. These factors
have not yet affected the study of the Antarctic forms markedly but it
has meant that the literature on the group is well organized and many
of the basic systematic problems have already been thoroughly dealt
with.
Early work on the group in the Antarctic was mainly concerned with
systematics and distribution, and indeed a good deal probably remains
to be done along these lines of investigation. New species are still being
described even from such relatively well worked areas as the Ross Sea
(Kennett, 1967). The fist Antarctic species were recorded by Ehrenberg (1844) from material collected on the voyage of the Erebw and
Terror. A summary of this rather sketchily identified material is given
by Heron-Allen and Earland (1922, p. 28).
Major reports from Antarctic expeditions have been contributed by
Brady (1884), two of the Challenger deep-water stations being south of
the Antarctic Circle; Faure-Premiet (1911, 1913, 1914) from the two
French Expeditions ; Heron-Allen and Earland (1922) from Terra Nova