Does the late Pliocene change in the architecture of the Antarctic margin correspond to the transition to the modern Antarctic Ice Sheet?

We observe in 6 key sectors of East and West Antarctica continental margin a change in the geometry of the
sedimentary deposits which is characterized by: margin-wide erosion and subsequent progradation on the continental
shelf; downlap on the continental slope; major mass wasting deposits on the continental rise. The change occurs in the
late Neogene in all sectors, though some natural variation exists, and the stratigraphic position is not obvious for every
margin. The change is apparently synchronous and dated about 3 Ma in Antarctic Peninsula and Prydz Bay margins and
broadly concomitant in the others sectors. This suggests a common driving force, which we suggest to be the transition
of the Antarctic ice sheet regime from polythermal to present polar cold, dry-based conditions