ORCID Profile
0000-0002-7510-6980
Current Organisations
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
,
Canterbury Museum
,
University of Canterbury
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Palaeontology (incl. Palynology) | Phylogeny and Comparative Analysis | Geology | Speciation and Extinction
Expanding Knowledge in the Earth Sciences | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on New Zealand (excl. Social Impacts) | Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences |
Publisher: Australian Museum
Date: 26-05-2010
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 05-03-2021
Abstract: Highly-threatened seabirds connect many countries and the high seas and therefore depend on coordinated ocean governance.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 13-04-2021
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 08-2019
Abstract: Insular avifaunas have repeatedly spawned evolutionary novelties in the form of unusually large, often flightless species. We report fossils from the Early Miocene St Bathans Fauna of New Zealand that attests to the former existence of a giant psittaciform, which is described as a new genus and species. The fossils are two incomplete tibiotarsi from a bird with an estimated mass of 7 kg, double that of the heaviest known parrot, the kakapo Strigops habroptila . These psittaciform fossils show that parrots join the growing group of avian taxa prone to giantism in insular species, currently restricted to palaeognaths, anatids, sylviornithids, columbids, aptornithids, ciconiids, tytonids, falconids and accipitrids.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 17-10-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-10-2014
Publisher: Coventry University and The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Centre for By-products Utilization
Date: 2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-09-2008
DOI: 10.1038/HDY.2008.85
Abstract: The Chatham Island Taiko (Tchaik, Pterodroma magentae) is one of the world's rarest seabirds. In the past there were millions of breeding pairs of Taiko and it was the most abundant burrowing petrel on Chatham Island. The present population consists of just 120-150 birds, including only 8-15 breeding pairs. Surprisingly high genetic variation was revealed by DNA sequencing of almost every known adult Taiko (N=90). Given the massive population decline, genetic variation may have been even larger in the past. Therefore, we investigated past genetic ersity by sequencing regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in 44 ancient Taiko bones. We identified a total of 12 haplotypes in Taiko. Eight haplotypes were revealed in the ancient DNA: four were unique to the bones and four corresponded to those found in the modern Taiko population. Surprisingly, despite the critically endangered status of the Taiko, no significant reduction in mitochondrial DNA haplotype ersity was observed between ancient s les (N=44) and modern adult Taiko (N=90). The modern population may have however lost four haplotypes present in the ancient populations.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-07-2016
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.13726
Abstract: While terrestrial megafaunal extinctions have been well characterized worldwide, our understanding of declines in marine megafauna remains limited. Here, we use ancient DNA analyses of prehistoric (<1450-1650 AD) sea lion specimens from New Zealand's isolated Chatham Islands to assess the demographic impacts of human settlement. These data suggest there was a large population of sea lions, unique to the Chatham Islands, at the time of Polynesian settlement. This distinct mitochondrial lineage became rapidly extinct within 200 years due to overhunting, paralleling the extirpation of a similarly large endemic mainland population. Whole mitogenomic analyses confirm substantial intraspecific ersity among prehistoric lineages. Demographic models suggest that even low harvest rates would likely have driven rapid extinction of these lineages. This study indicates that surviving Phocarctos populations are remnants of a once erse and widespread sea lion assemblage, highlighting dramatic human impacts on endemic marine bio ersity. Our findings also suggest that Phocarctos bycatch in commercial fisheries may contribute to the ongoing population decline.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 12-2021
Abstract: The extinct Haast's eagle or harpagornis ( Hieraaetus moorei ) is the largest known eagle. Historically, it was first considered a predator, then a scavenger, but most recent authors have favoured an active hunting ecology. However, the veracity of proposed similarities to carrion feeders has not been thoroughly tested. To infer feeding capability and behaviour in harpagornis, we used geometric morphometric and finite-element analyses to assess the shape and biomechanical strength of its neurocranium, beak and talons in comparison to five extant scavenging and predatory birds. The neurocranium of harpagornis is vulture-like in shape whereas its beak is eagle-like. The mechanical performance of harpagornis is closer to extant eagles under biting loads but is closest to the Andean condor ( Vultur gryphus ) under extrinsic loads simulating prey capture and killing. The talons, however, are eagle-like and even for a bird of its size, able to withstand extremely high loads. Results are consistent with the proposition that, unlike living eagles, harpagornis habitually killed prey larger than itself, then applied feeding methods typical of vultures to feed on the large carcasses. Decoupling of the relationship between neurocranium and beak shape may have been linked to rapid evolution.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-02-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13898
Abstract: Functional traits offer a rich quantitative framework for developing and testing theories in evolutionary biology, ecology and ecosystem science. However, the potential of functional traits to drive theoretical advances and refine models of global change can only be fully realised when species‐level information is complete. Here we present the AVONET dataset containing comprehensive functional trait data for all birds, including six ecological variables, 11 continuous morphological traits, and information on range size and location. Raw morphological measurements are presented from 90,020 in iduals of 11,009 extant bird species s led from 181 countries. These data are also summarised as species averages in three taxonomic formats, allowing integration with a global phylogeny, geographical range maps, IUCN Red List data and the eBird citizen science database. The AVONET dataset provides the most detailed picture of continuous trait variation for any major radiation of organisms, offering a global template for testing hypotheses and exploring the evolutionary origins, structure and functioning of bio ersity.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-03-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14092
Abstract: Correlative species distribution models (SDMs) are typically trained using only the contemporary distribution of species however, recent records might reflect an incomplete description of a species' niche, limiting the reliability of predictions. SDMs linking fossil records have the potential to improve conservation decisions under human‐induced climate change. Here, we built SDMs using presence records from contemporary and Holocene records to enable estimations of climatically suitable area under current and future climate scenarios. Aotearoa New Zealand Tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus For an evolutionary relict found in Aotearoa New Zealand, the tuatara ( Sphenodon punctatus ), we built SDMs using presence records from contemporary and Holocene records to estimate climatically suitable area under current and future climate scenarios. We also use our detailed knowledge of the Holocene distribution and remnant populations to examine niche shifts following the arrival of humans and associated introduction of mammalian predators. To build SDMs, we use presence records from four sources: (a) remnant populations, (b) radiocarbon‐dated fossil deposits from the Holocene, (c) other fossil deposits containing tuatara bones of Holocene age and iv) islands from which tuatara are known or highly likely to have become extinct. We found shifts in the niche of tuatara due to niche unfilling. Incorporating locations of Holocene deposits and/or all past locations in SDMs led to larger areas of climatically suitable area being identified compared to SDMs derived from remnant populations only. Using all presence records, under climate change projections for 2090, climatically suitable area increased slightly. However, many areas retain potential as translocation sites (e.g. northern South Island), some areas become unsuitable (e.g. inland Canterbury) and/or involve extrapolation into novel climates (e.g. Northland). SDMs incorporating locations of Holocene deposits and/or all past locations identified areas of critical habitat for tuatara under current and future climate scenarios, that would not have been identified using contemporary occurrences only. Our results highlight the need to consider past locations when assessing habitat suitability for conservation translocations, both for tuatara and other relict species.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-02-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1755-0998.2008.02370.X
Abstract: A lone petrel was shot from the decks of an Italian warship (the 'Magenta') while it was sailing the South Pacific Ocean in 1867, far from land. The species, unknown to science, was named the 'Magenta petrel' (Procellariiformes, Procellariidae, Pterodroma magentae). No other specimens of this bird were collected and the species it represented remained a complete enigma for over 100 years. We compared DNA sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from the Magenta petrel to that of other petrels using phylogenetic methods and ancient DNA techniques. Our results strongly suggest that the Magenta petrel specimen is a Chatham Island taiko. Furthermore, given the collection location of the Magenta petrel, our finding indicates that the Chatham Island taiko forages far into the Pacific Ocean (near South America). This has implications for the conservation of the taiko, one of the world's rarest seabirds.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 09-12-2009
Abstract: Historic museum specimens are increasingly used to answer a wide variety of questions in scientific research. Nevertheless, the scientific value of these specimens depends on the authenticity of the data associated with them. Here we use in idual-based genetic analyses to demonstrate erroneous locality information for archive specimens from the late nineteenth century. Specifically, using 10 microsatellite markers, we analysed 350 contemporary and 43 historic yellow-eyed penguin ( Megadyptes antipodes ) specimens from New Zealand's South Island and sub-Antarctic regions. Factorial correspondence analysis and an assignment test strongly suggest that eight of the historic specimens purportedly of sub-Antarctic origin were in fact collected from the South Island. Interestingly, all eight specimens were obtained by the same collector, and all are currently held in the same museum collection. Further inspection of the specimen labels and evaluation of sub-Antarctic voyages did not reveal whether the erroneous data are caused by incorrect labelling or whether deliberate falsification was at play. This study highlights a promising extension to the well-known applications of assignment tests in molecular ecology, which can complement methods that are currently being applied for error detection in specimen data. Our results also serve as a warning to all who use archive specimens to invest time in the verification of collection information.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-01-2011
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-08-2012
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 05-10-2020
DOI: 10.1017/S0959270920000350
Abstract: Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii is an endemic New Zealand seabird that has experienced a large range decline since the arrival of humans and now only breeds on two offshore islands (Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island and Whenua Hou/Codfish Island) at the extreme ends of its former distribution. Morphological, behavioural, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) sequence data led a previous study to recognise the two extant populations as distinct conservation management units. Here, we further examine the genetic relationship between the extant populations using two nuclear introns ( β-fibint7 and PAX ). Using one mitochondrial locus (CO1), we also investigate the past distribution of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that differentiates the modern populations using bone and museum skins sourced from within its former range across New Zealand’s North and South Islands. We found significant population genetic structure between the two extant Cook’s Petrel populations for one of the two nuclear introns ( β-fibint7 ). The mitochondrial DNA CO1 analysis indicated that the SNP variant found in the Codfish Island population was formerly widely distributed across both the North and South Islands, whereas the Little Barrier Island variant was detected only in North Island s les. We argue that these combined data support the recognition of the extant populations as different subspecies. Previous names for these taxa exist, thus Cook’s Petrel from Little Barrier Island becomes Pterodroma cookii cookii and Cook’s Petrel from Codfish Island becomes P. c. orientalis . Furthermore, we suggest that both genetic and non-genetic data should be taken into consideration when planning future mainland translocations. Namely, any translocations on the South Island should be sourced from Codfish Island and future translocations on the North Island should continue to be sourced from Little Barrier Island only.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2010
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 11-11-2020
Abstract: Living true seals (phocids) are the most widely dispersed semi-aquatic marine mammals, and comprise geographically separate northern (phocine) and southern (monachine) groups. Both are thought to have evolved in the North Atlantic, with only two monachine lineages—elephant seals and lobodontins—subsequently crossing the equator. The third and most basal monachine tribe, the monk seals, have hitherto been interpreted as exclusively northern and (sub)tropical throughout their entire history. Here, we describe a new species of extinct monk seal from the Pliocene of New Zealand, the first of its kind from the Southern Hemisphere, based on one of the best-preserved and richest s les of seal fossils worldwide. This unanticipated discovery reveals that all three monachine tribes once coexisted south of the equator, and forces a profound revision of their evolutionary history: rather than primarily ersifying in the North Atlantic, monachines largely evolved in the Southern Hemisphere, and from this southern cradle later reinvaded the north. Our results suggest that true seals crossed the equator over eight times in their history. Overall, they more than double the age of the north–south dichotomy characterizing living true seals and confirms a surprisingly recent major change in southern phocid ersity.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 29-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JZS.12400
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2003
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE01838
Publisher: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH)
Date: 14-03-2011
DOI: 10.1643/CH-10-113
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-11-2020
DOI: 10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLAA115
Abstract: We describe a new species of Polynesian sandpiper from Henderson Island, Prosobonia sauli sp. nov., based on multiple Holocene fossil bones collected during the Sir Peter Scott Commemorative Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands (1991–92). Prosobonia sauli is the only species of Prosobonia to be described from bone accumulations and extends the record of known extinct Polynesian sandpipers to four. It is readily differentiated from the extant Tuamotu Sandpiper P. parvirostris in several features of the legs and bill, implying ecological adaptations to different environments. The geographically nearest Prosobonia populations to Henderson Island were found on Mangareva, where it is now extinct. A previous record of a species of Prosobonia from Tubuai, Austral Islands, is here shown to belong to the Sanderling Calidris alba. Our analyses of newly sequenced genetic data, which include the mitochondrial genomes of P. parvirostris and the extinct Tahiti Sandpiper P. leucoptera, confidently resolve the position of Prosobonia as sister-taxon to turnstones and calidrine sandpipers. We present a hypothesis for the timing of ergence between species of Prosobonia and other scolopacid lineages. Our results further provide a framework to interpret the evolution of sedentary lineages within the normally highly migratory Scolopacidae.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.160258
Abstract: Human settlers transported chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) to most East Polynesian archipelagos between AD 1000 and 1300 however, it has long been assumed that New Zealand was an exception. Despite the fact that chicken bones have been recovered from localities of early archaeological middens in New Zealand, their age and genetic relationships have never been critically assessed. Here, we test the assumption that chickens were not introduced to New Zealand during prehistory through ancient DNA and radiocarbon analyses of chicken bones from sites of Māori middens containing prehistoric material. The chickens belong to the widespread mitochondrial control region haplogroup E. Radiocarbon dating reveals that the bones are not prehistoric, but are still the earliest chicken remains known from New Zealand. Two of the bones pre-date permanent European settlement ( ca 1803s onwards) but overlap with the arrival of James Cook's second voyage (1773–1774), and, therefore, they are likely to be chickens, or progeny thereof, liberated during that voyage. Our results support the idea that chickens were first introduced to New Zealand by Europeans, and provide new insights into Māori uptake and integration of resources introduced during the early post-European period.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 08-12-2009
Abstract: The ratite moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) were a speciose group of massive graviportal avian herbivores that dominated the New Zealand (NZ) ecosystem until their extinction ≈600 years ago. The phylogeny and evolutionary history of this morphologically erse order has remained controversial since their initial description in 1839. We synthesize mitochondrial phylogenetic information from 263 subfossil moa specimens from across NZ with morphological, ecological, and new geological data to create the first comprehensive phylogeny, taxonomy, and evolutionary timeframe for all of the species of an extinct order. We also present an important new geological aleogeographical model of late Cenozoic NZ, which suggests that terrestrial biota on the North and South Island landmasses were isolated for most of the past 20–30 Ma. The data reveal that the patterns of genetic ersity within and between different moa clades reflect a complex history following a major marine transgression in the Oligocene, affected by marine barriers, tectonic activity, and glacial cycles. Surprisingly, the remarkable morphological radiation of moa appears to have occurred much more recently than previous early Miocene ( ca. 15 Ma) estimates, and was coincident with the accelerated uplift of the Southern Alps just ca. 5–8.5 Ma. Together with recent fossil evidence, these data suggest that the recent evolutionary history of nearly all of the iconic NZ terrestrial biota occurred principally on just the South Island.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 05-08-2009
Abstract: The New Zealand (NZ) lizard fossil record is currently limited to late Quaternary remains of modern taxa. The St Bathans Fauna (early Miocene, southern South Island) extends this record to 19–16 million years ago (Myr ago). Skull and postcranial elements are similar to extant Oligosoma (Lygosominae) skinks and Hoplodactylus (Diplodactylinae) geckos. There is no evidence of other squamate groups. These fossils, along with coeval sphenodontines, demonstrate a long conservative history for the NZ lepidosaurian fauna, provide new molecular clock calibrations and contradict inferences of a very recent (less than 8 Myr ago) arrival of skinks in NZ.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 19-04-2017
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 17-06-2015
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 08-2011
DOI: 10.1109/CGIV.2011.20
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-08-2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-02-2019
DOI: 10.3390/D11020024
Abstract: The recently extinct New Zealand adzebills (Aptornithidae, Aptornis spp.) were an enigmatic group of large flightless birds that have long eluded precise taxonomic assignment as they do not closely resemble any extant birds. Adzebills were nearly wingless, weighed approximately 16–19 kg, and possessed massive adze-like reinforced bills whose function remains unknown. Using hybridisation enrichment and high-throughput sequencing of DNA extracted from subfossil bone and eggshell, near-complete mitochondrial genomes were successfully assembled from the two Quaternary adzebill species: the North Island Adzebill (Aptornis otidiformis) and South Island Adzebill (A. defossor). Molecular phylogenetic analyses confirm that adzebills are members of the Ralloidea (rails and allies) and are sister-taxon to the Sarothruridae, which our results suggest comprises the Madagascan wood rails (Mentocrex, two likely sp.) in addition to the tiny ( gram) rail-like Afro-Madagascan flufftails (Sarothrura, 9 spp.). Node age estimates indicate that the split between adzebills and Sarothruridae occurred ~39.6 Ma, suggesting that the ancestors of the adzebills arrived in New Zealand by long-distance dispersal rather than continental vicariance. This newly identified biogeographic link between physically distant New Zealand and Afro-Madagascar, echoed by the relationship between the New Zealand kiwi (Apterygiformes) and Madagascan elephant-birds (Aepyornithiformes), suggests that the adzebill’s near relatives were formerly more widespread. In addition, our estimate for the ergence time between the two Quaternary adzebill species (0.2–2.3 Ma) coincides with the emergence of a land-bridge between the North and South islands of New Zealand (ca. 1.5–2 Ma). This relatively recent ergence suggests that North Island adzebills are the result of a relatively recent dispersal from the South Island, from which the earliest (Miocene) adzebill fossil has been described.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2013
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-04-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-03-2023
Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk Instytut Paleobiologii (Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences)
Date: 06-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-04-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10336-022-01981-6
Abstract: Two new neoavian landbirds are reported from the early Miocene St Bathans Fauna from New Zealand. Aegotheles zealan etus sp. nov. is described from several bones, among which, notably, the tarsometatarsus shows more similarity to New Guinean taxa than to Australian—New Zealand species. Zealandornis relictus gen. et sp. nov. is described from a distal end of a humerus and placed in the new family Zealandornithidae, tentatively among the ‘higher landbirds’ Telluraves, with most similarity to coliiforms. The humerus is of similar size to that of species of Colius and its gracile shaft and very shallow sulcus scapulotricipitalis suggests reduced flying ability. The new species of Aegotheles reinforces the Australasian nature of the Zealandian fauna, while in contrast, Zealandornis relictus gen. et sp. nov. appears to have no close relatives. It is as distinct as Acanthisittidae and Strigopidae among birds, or Leiopelmatidae and Sphenodontidae among the herpetofauna, and like them, represents a similar relictual taxon. Together they confer a highly evolutionarily distinctive nature to the Zealandian fauna concomitant with a minimal 60 million years of isolation.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-2013
Publisher: Australian Museum
Date: 26-05-2010
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-01-2020
DOI: 10.3390/D12020046
Abstract: We describe a partial skeleton of a stem group penguin from the Waipara Greensand in New Zealand, which is tentatively assigned to Muriwaimanu tuatahi. The fossil includes the first complete wing of a Paleocene penguin and informs on previously unknown features of the mandible and tibiotarsus of small-sized Sphenisciformes from the Waipara Greensand. The wing is distinguished by important features from that of all geologically younger Sphenisciformes and documents an early stage in the evolution of wing-propelled ing in penguins. In particular, the wing of the new fossil exhibits a well-developed alular phalanx and the distal phalanges are not flattened. Because the wing phalanges resemble those of volant birds, we consider it likely that the wing feathers remained differentiated into functional categories and were not short and scale-like as they are in extant penguins. Even though the flippers of geologically younger penguins may favor survival in extremely cold climates, they are likely to have been shaped by hydrodynamic demands. Possible selective drivers include a diminished importance of the hindlimbs in subaquatic propulsion, new foraging strategies (the caudal end of the mandible of the new fossil distinctly differs from that of extant penguins), or increased predation by marine mammals.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 13-10-2016
Publisher: Australian Museum
Date: 26-05-2010
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 18-11-2009
Abstract: Recent human expansion into the Pacific initiated a dramatic avian extinction crisis, and surviving taxa are typically interpreted as declining remnants of previously abundant populations. As a case in point, New Zealand's endangered yellow-eyed penguin ( Megadyptes antipodes ) is widely considered to have been more abundant and widespread in the past. By contrast, our genetic and morphological analyses of prehistoric, historic and modern penguin s les reveal that this species expanded its range to the New Zealand mainland only in the last few hundred years. This range expansion was apparently facilitated by the extinction of M. antipodes ' previously unrecognized sister species following Polynesian settlement in New Zealand. Based on combined genetic and morphological data, we describe this new penguin species, the first known to have suffered human-mediated extinction. The range expansion of M. antipodes so soon after the extinction of its sister species supports a historic paradigmatic shift in New Zealand Polynesian culture. Additionally, such a dynamic biological response to human predation reveals a surprising and less recognized potential for species to have benefited from the extinction of their ecologically similar sister taxa and highlights the complexity of large-scale extinction events.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2011
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 09-2009
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-06-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 25-07-2016
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 06-2012
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2016.05.038
Abstract: The New Zealand acanthisittid wrens are the sister-taxon to all other "perching birds" (Passeriformes) and - including recently extinct species - represent the most erse endemic passerine family in New Zealand. Consequently, they are important for understanding both the early evolution of Passeriformes and the New Zealand biota. However, five of the seven species have become extinct since the arrival of humans in New Zealand, complicating evolutionary analyses. The results of morphological analyses have been largely equivocal, and no comprehensive genetic analysis of Acanthisittidae has been undertaken. We present novel mitochondrial genome sequences from four acanthisittid species (three extinct, one extant), allowing us to resolve the phylogeny and revise the taxonomy of acanthisittids. Reanalysis of morphological data in light of our genetic results confirms a close relationship between the extant rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris) and an extinct Miocene wren (Kuiornis indicator), making Kuiornis a useful calibration point for molecular dating of passerines. Our molecular dating analyses reveal that the stout-legged wrens (Pachyplichas) erged relatively recently from a more gracile (Xenicus-like) ancestor. Further, our results suggest a possible Early Oligocene origin of the basal Lyall's wren (Traversia) lineage, which would imply that Acanthisittidae survived the Oligocene marine inundation of New Zealand and therefore that the inundation was not complete.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 13-01-2016
Abstract: The moa (Dinornithiformes) are large to gigantic extinct terrestrial birds of New Zealand. Knowledge about niche partitioning, feeding mode and preference among moa species is limited, h ering palaeoecological reconstruction and evaluation of the impacts of their extinction on remnant native biota, or the viability of exotic species as proposed ecological ‘surrogates'. Here we apply three-dimensional finite-element analysis to compare the biomechanical performance of skulls from five of the six moa genera, and two extant ratites, to predict the range of moa feeding behaviours relative to each other and to living relatives. Mechanical performance during biting was compared using simulations of the birds clipping twigs based on muscle reconstruction of mummified moa remains. Other simulated food acquisition strategies included lateral shaking, pullback and dorsoventral movement of the skull. We found evidence for limited overlap in biomechanical performance between the extant emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae ) and extinct upland moa ( Megalapteryx didinus ) based on similarities in mandibular stress distribution in two loading cases, but overall our findings suggest that moa species exploited their habitats in different ways, relative to both each other and extant ratites. The broad range of feeding strategies used by moa, as inferred from interspecific differences in biomechanical performance of the skull, provides insight into mechanisms that facilitated high ersities of these avian herbivores in prehistoric New Zealand.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 08-09-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-11-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-03-2021
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 20-07-1998
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5168.1.3
Abstract: A large fossil anserine-like anatid (Aves, Anatidae, Notochen bannockburnensis gen. et sp. nov.) is described based on a distal humerus from the lower Bannockburn Formation, early Miocene (19–16 Ma), St Bathans Fauna from New Zealand. Its morphology and size suggest that this taxon represents an early swan rather than a goose. Extant anserines are split into Northern and Southern Hemisphere clades. The St Bathans Fauna is known to have the oldest anserines in the Southern Hemisphere, unnamed cereopsines perhaps ancestral to species of Cnemiornis (New Zealand geese). The elongate and flat morphology of the tuberculum supracondylare ventrale of the new species, however, preclude affinities with cereopsines. It is a rare taxon and the eighth anatid represented in the fauna and is the largest known anseriform from the Oligo-Miocene of Australasia. We also reassess other large anatid specimens from the St Bathans Fauna and identify Miotadorna catrionae Tennyson, Greer, Lubbe, Marx, Richards, Giovanardi & Rawlence, 2022 as a junior synonym of Miotadorna sanctibathansi Worthy, Tennyson, Jones, McNamara & Douglas, 2007.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13795
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 11-2020
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.201430
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 12-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-03-2010
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2012
Publisher: Pleiades Publishing Ltd
Date: 12-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-09-2019
DOI: 10.1002/SPP2.1284
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2004
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 10-10-2012
Abstract: Claims of extreme survival of DNA have emphasized the need for reliable models of DNA degradation through time. By analysing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 158 radiocarbon-dated bones of the extinct New Zealand moa, we confirm empirically a long-hypothesized exponential decay relationship. The average DNA half-life within this geographically constrained fossil assemblage was estimated to be 521 years for a 242 bp mtDNA sequence, corresponding to a per nucleotide fragmentation rate ( k ) of 5.50 × 10 –6 per year. With an effective burial temperature of 13.1°C, the rate is almost 400 times slower than predicted from published kinetic data of in vitro DNA depurination at pH 5. Although best described by an exponential model ( R 2 = 0.39), considerable s le-to-s le variance in DNA preservation could not be accounted for by geologic age. This variation likely derives from differences in taphonomy and bone diagenesis, which have confounded previous, less spatially constrained attempts to study DNA decay kinetics. Lastly, by calculating DNA fragmentation rates on Illumina HiSeq data, we show that nuclear DNA has degraded at least twice as fast as mtDNA. These results provide a baseline for predicting long-term DNA survival in bone.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2013.08.017
Abstract: The Chatham duck (Pachyanas chathamica) represented one of just three modern bird genera endemic to the Chatham archipelago (situated ~850 km east of New Zealand) but became extinct soon after humans first settled the islands (c. 13th-15th centuries AD). The taxonomic affinity of the Chatham duck remains largely unresolved previous studies have tentatively suggested placements within both Tadornini (shelducks) and Anatini (dabbling ducks). Herein, we sequence a partial mitochondrial genome (excluding the D-loop) from the Chatham duck and discover that it was a phenotypically- ergent species within the genus Anas (Anatini). This conclusion is further supported by a re-examination of osteological characters. Our molecular analyses convincingly demonstrate that the Chatham duck is the most basal member of a sub-clade comprising the New Zealand and sub-Antarctic brown teals (the brown teal [A. chlorotis], Auckland Island teal [A. aucklandica] and C bell Island teal [A. nesiotis]). Molecular clock calculations based on an ingroup fossil calibration support a ergence between the Chatham duck and its sister-taxa that is consistent with the estimated time of emergence of the Chatham Islands. Additionally, we find that mtDNA ergence between the two sub-Antarctic teal species (A. aucklandica and A. nesiotis) significantly pre-dates the last few glacial cycles, raising interesting questions about the timing of their dispersal to these islands, and the recent phylogeographic history of brown teal lineages in the region.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2011
Publisher: New Zealand Ecological Society
Date: 2017
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 28-08-2014
DOI: 10.1111/ZOJ.12164
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 10-02-2016
Abstract: The expansion of humans into previously unoccupied parts of the globe is thought to have driven the decline and extinction of numerous vertebrate species. In New Zealand, human settlement in the late thirteenth century AD led to the rapid demise of a distinctive vertebrate fauna, and also a number of 'turnover' events where extinct lineages were subsequently replaced by closely related taxa. The recent genetic detection of an Australian little penguin ( Eudyptula novaehollandiae ) in southeastern New Zealand may potentially represent an additional ‘cryptic’ invasion. Here we use ancient-DNA (aDNA) analysis and radiocarbon dating of pre-human, archaeological and historical Eudyptula remains to reveal that the arrival of E. novaehollandiae in New Zealand probably occurred between AD 1500 and 1900, following the anthropogenic decline of its sister taxon, the endemic Eudyptula minor . This rapid turnover event, revealed by aDNA, suggests that native species decline can be masked by invasive taxa, and highlights the potential for human-mediated bio ersity shifts.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2016.09.022
Abstract: The relationships of the extinct New Zealand ravens (Corvus spp.) are poorly understood. We sequenced the mitogenomes of the two currently recognised species and found they were sister-taxa to a clade comprising the Australian raven, little raven, and forest raven (C.coronoides, C. mellori and C. tasmanicus respectively). The ergence between the New Zealand ravens and Australian raven clade occurred in the latest Pliocene, which coincides with the onset of glacial deforestation. We also found that the ergence between the two putative New Zealand species C. antipodum and C. moriorum probably occurred in the late Pleistocene making their separation as species untenable. Consequently, we consider Corax antipodum (Forbes, 1893) to be a subspecies of Corvus moriorum Forbes, 1892. We re-examine the osteological evidence that led 19th century researchers to assign the New Zealand taxa to a separate genus, and re-assess these features in light of our new phylogenetic hypotheses. Like previous researchers, we conclude that the morphology of the palate of C. moriorum is unique among the genus Corvus, and suggest this may be an adaptation for a specialist diet.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 12-12-2014
Abstract: To better determine the history of modern birds, we performed a genome-scale phylogenetic analysis of 48 species representing all orders of Neoaves using phylogenomic methods created to handle genome-scale data. We recovered a highly resolved tree that confirms previously controversial sister or close relationships. We identified the first ergence in Neoaves, two groups we named Passerea and Columbea, representing independent lineages of erse and convergently evolved land and water bird species. Among Passerea, we infer the common ancestor of core landbirds to have been an apex predator and confirm independent gains of vocal learning. Among Columbea, we identify pigeons and flamingoes as belonging to sister clades. Even with whole genomes, some of the earliest branches in Neoaves proved challenging to resolve, which was best explained by massive protein-coding sequence convergence and high levels of incomplete lineage sorting that occurred during a rapid radiation after the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event about 66 million years ago.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-07-2004
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-02-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00114-017-1441-0
Abstract: We describe leg bones of a giant penguin from the mid-Paleocene Waipara Greensand of New Zealand. The specimens were found at the type locality of Waimanu manneringi and together with this species they constitute the oldest penguin fossils known to date. Tarsometatarsus dimensions indicate a species that reached the size of Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi, one of the largest known penguin species. Stem group penguins therefore attained a giant size very early in their evolution, with this gigantism existing for more than 30 million years. The new fossils are from a species that is phylogenetically more derived than Waimanu, and the unexpected coexistence of Waimanu with more derived stem group Sphenisciformes documents a previously unknown ersity amongst the world's oldest penguins. The characteristic tarsometatarsus shape of penguins evolved early on, and the significant morphological disparity between Waimanu and the new fossil conflicts with recent Paleocene ergence estimates for penguins, suggesting an older, Late Cretaceous, origin.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-05-2018
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 26-07-2017
Abstract: Prehistoric human impacts on megafaunal populations have dramatically reshaped ecosystems worldwide. However, the effects of human exploitation on smaller species, such as anatids (ducks, geese, and swans) are less clear. In this study we apply ancient DNA and osteological approaches to reassess the history of Australasia's iconic black swans ( Cygnus atratus ) including the palaeo-behaviour of prehistoric populations. Our study shows that at the time of human colonization, New Zealand housed a genetically, morphologically, and potentially ecologically distinct swan lineage ( C. sumnerensis , Poūwa), ergent from modern (Australian) C. atratus . Morphological analyses indicate C. sumnerensis exhibited classic signs of the ‘island rule’ effect, being larger, and likely flight-reduced compared to C. atratus . Our research reveals sudden extinction and replacement events within this anatid species complex, coinciding with recent human colonization of New Zealand. This research highlights the role of anthropogenic processes in rapidly reshaping island ecosystems and raises new questions for avian conservation, ecosystem re-wilding, and de-extinction.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.150635
Abstract: Presbyornithids were the dominant birds in Palaeogene lacustrine assemblages, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, but are thought to have disappeared worldwide by the mid-Eocene. Now classified within Anseriformes (screamers, ducks, swans and geese), their relationships have long been obscured by their strange wader-like skeletal morphology. Reassessment of the late Oligocene South Australian material attributed to Wilaru tedfordi , long considered to be of a stone-curlew (Burhinidae, Charadriiformes), reveals that this taxon represents the first record of a presbyornithid in Australia. We also describe the larger Wilaru prideauxi sp. nov. from the early Miocene of South Australia, showing that presbyornithids survived in Australia at least until ca 22 Ma. Unlike on other continents, where presbyornithids were replaced by aquatic crown-group anatids (ducks, swans and geese), species of Wilaru lived alongside these waterfowl in Australia. The morphology of the tarsometatarsus of these species indicates that, contrary to other presbyornithids, they were predominantly terrestrial birds, which probably contributed to their long-term survival in Australia. The morphological similarity between species of Wilaru and the Eocene South American presbyornithid Telmabates antiquus supports our hypothesis of a Gondwanan radiation during the evolutionary history of the Presbyornithidae. Teviornis gobiensis from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia is here also reassessed and confirmed as a presbyornithid. These findings underscore the temporal continuance of Australia’s vertebrates and provide a new context in which the phylogeny and evolutionary history of presbyornithids can be examined.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-03-2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2011
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2013
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-03-2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-2009
Start Date: 2012
End Date: 2014
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2016
End Date: 2020
Funder: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2017
End Date: 2020
Funder: Marsden Fund
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2022
End Date: 2025
Funder: Marsden Fund
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2012
End Date: 12-2015
Amount: $369,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity