Mega-island or micro-continent? New Zealand and its fauna

Daugherty, Charles H.; Gibbs, George; Hitchmough, Rodney A.

doi:10.1016/0169-5347(93)90006-b

Cited by 120 publications

(113 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The presence of this diversity of galaxiid fishes in the Otago-Southland region is in keeping with the diverse and endemic flora of the region (McGlone 1985;Wardle 1991), and the importance of the region as a centre of diversity for New Zealand skinks (Daugherty et al 1993). This diversity may reflect the stable geological history of the area, one of the most significant land areas that persisted despite an extensive marine transgression during the Oligocene of New Zealand (Fleming 1979;Suggate et al 1978;Cooper 1989;Cooper & Cooper 1995).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Description and redescription ofGalaxiasspecies (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) from Otago and Southland

McDowall

Wallis

1996

Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Description and redescription ofGalaxiasspecies (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) from Otago and Southland

McDowall

Wallis

1996

Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand

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“…Because New Zealand originated as a fragment of the supercontinent Gondwana, with rifting occurring some 80 Ma, but has been isolated from major land masses by some 2000 km for the past 60 Myr, its flora and fauna have characteristics typical of both continents and islands (McDowall, 2008). Therefore, the New Zealand archipelago has been viewed as a unique system for studying the evolution of a continental fauna in a state of isolation usually seen only in volcanic islands formed in the mid-ocean (Daugherty et al, 1993;Cowie & Holland, 2006). But is there truly a Gondwanan character to the New Zealand flora and fauna?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like many isolated islands, New Zealand is characterized by a biota that is depauperate in certain higher taxa, with rates of endemism at or near 100% in many groups (Daugherty et al, 1993;Myers et al, 2000;Gibbs, 2006). Radiations may have been driven in part by fluctuations in global sea level during the Cenozoic, as well as the dramatic Oligocene 'drowning' or 'bottleneck' period when New Zealand's land area shrank to a tiny fraction of its present size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welcome back New Zealand: regional biogeography and Gondwanan origin of three endemic genera of mite harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi)

Boyer¹,

Giribet

2009

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Biogeographers have long been intrigued by New Zealand's biota due to its unique combination of typical 'continental' and 'island' characteristics. The New Zealand plateau rifted from the former supercontinent Gondwana c. 80 Ma, and has been isolated from other land masses ever since. Therefore, the flora and fauna of New Zealand include lineages that are Gondwanan in origin, but also include a very large number of endemics. In this study, we analyse the evolutionary relationships of three genera of mite harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) endemic to New Zealand, both to each other and to their temperate Gondwanan relatives found in Australia, Chile, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Location New Zealand (North Island, South Island and Stewart Island).Methods A total of 94 specimens of the family Pettalidae in the suborder Cyphophthalmi were studied, representing 31 species and subspecies belonging to three endemic genera from New Zealand (Aoraki, Neopurcellia and Rakaia) plus six other members of the family from Chile, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia. The phylogeny of these taxa was constructed using morphological and molecular data from five nuclear and mitochondrial genes (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, 16S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and histone H3, totalling c. 5 kb), which were analysed using dynamic as well as static homology under a variety of optimality criteria. ResultsThe results showed that each of the three New Zealand cyphophthalmid genera is monophyletic, and occupies a distinct geographical region within the archipelago, grossly corresponding to palaeogeographical regions. All three genera of New Zealand mite harvestmen fall within the family Pettalidae with a classic temperate Gondwanan distribution, but they do not render any other genera paraphyletic.Main conclusions Our study shows that New Zealand's three genera of mite harvestmen are unequivocally related to other members of the temperate Gondwanan family Pettalidae. Monophyly of each genus contradicts the idea of recent dispersal to New Zealand. Within New Zealand, striking biogeographical patterns are apparent in this group of short-range endemics, particularly in the South Island. These patterns are interpreted in the light of New Zealand's turbulent geological history and present-day patterns of forest cover.

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“…Low reproductive rates and compensatory greater investment in individual young have often been considered a feature of the New Zealand avifauna (King & Moors 1979;Moors 1983;King 1984;Daugherty et al 1993;Gill & Moon 1999;Holdaway 1999). This may take the form of infrequent nesting, small clutches, large eggs and hatchlings or long periods of incubation, nestling and fledglingdependence (Niethammer 1970;Reid 1971;McLean & Miskelly 1988;Williams et al 1991;Powlesland et al 1992;Elliott et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are low reproductive rates characteristic of New Zealand's native terrestrial birds? Evidence from the allometry of nesting parameters in altricial species

Franklin¹,

Wilson²

2003

New Zealand Journal of Zoology

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We investigate the notion that New Zealand's avifauna exhibits a macro-evolutionary trend towards low reproductive rates by analysing the allometry of nesting parameters for native altricial land birds. We show that egg size, incubation periods, and nestling periods are all strongly correlated with body mass, but clutch size is not. However, egg size more accurately predicts incubation periods, and incubation periods more accurately predict nestling periods, than does body mass.Variation between and within families is explored. Neither divergence per se nor slow rates of reproduction appear related to the taxic level of endemism. "Gigantic" species breed more slowly in proportion to body mass as predicted allometrically, but as a macro-evolutionary trend, the effect is counterpointed within New Zealand by a parallel trend towards dwarfism. We found that hollow-and cavity-nesting species have longer nestling periods than open-nesting species. Corvida passerines lay larger eggs, after controlling for body mass, than do Passerida passerines.Most of New Zealand's altricial bird species evolved from Australian colonists. Macroevolutionary trends are therefore most likely to be Z02026;

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Mega-island or micro-continent? New Zealand and its fauna

Cited by 120 publications

References 19 publications

Description and redescription ofGalaxiasspecies (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) from Otago and Southland

Description and redescription ofGalaxiasspecies (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) from Otago and Southland

Welcome back New Zealand: regional biogeography and Gondwanan origin of three endemic genera of mite harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi)

Are low reproductive rates characteristic of New Zealand's native terrestrial birds? Evidence from the allometry of nesting parameters in altricial species

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