Papersnd a Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Volume 141 (1), 2007 35 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE SUB-ANTARCTIC ISLANDS: THE FOUNDATION by Patrick G. Quilty (with 23 text-figures and two tables) Quilty, P.G. 2007 (23:xi): Origin and evolution of the sub-Antarctic islands: the foundation.Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 141 (1): 35-58. https://doi.org/10.26749/rstpp.141.1.35 ISSN 0080-4703. School of Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia. Email: P.Quil
[email protected] Sub-Antarctic islands have a diversity of origins in detail but most are volcanic and very young suggesting that they are short-lived and that the distribution would have been very differenta few million years ago. 'They contrast with the common tourist brochure concept of oceanic islands. As the Antarctic Plate is virtually static, the islands seldom show signs of association with long-lived linear island chains and most thus stand alone. Longer-lived islands are either on submarine plateaux or are continental remnants of the dispersion of Gondwana. The islands are classified in relation to raised sea-floor, transform fault, triple junction, subduction zone, submarine plateau, submerged continent or continental. Many are difficult of access and poorly known geologically. Their geological history controls their many other roles such as sites as observatories, or for study of colonisation, evolution and speciation rates. Key Words: Sub-Antarctic islands, geological evolution, Macquarie Island, Balleny Islands, Scott Island, Campbell Island, Antipodes Island, Auckland Islands, Enderby Island, Peter I Island, Islas Diego Ramirez, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Bouvetoya, Gough Island, Marion Island, Prince Edward Island, Iles Crozet, Amsterdam Island, St Paul Island, Kerguelen Plateau, Iles Kerguelen, Heard Island, McDonald Island.