Quaternary fossil faunas from caves on Mt Cookson, North Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand

Abstract

The late Quaternary fossil vertebrate faunas from caves and cliff sites in the limestone of Mt Cookson, near Waiau in North Canterbury, are described. These faunas allow documentation of faunal changes in the area, over the last 40,000 years, and reveal differences from other previously studied areas that are related to climate. Pitfall faunas from the numerous potholes dominate the deposits, but three predator-accumulated deposits, attributed to the New Zealand falcon Falco novaeseelandiae, were found. The deposits in Merino Cave and Holocene Hole were studied in detail.Merino Cave had two distinct fossil faunas, from which six radiocarbon dates were obtained, showing that deposition spanned the Otiran Glacial period, between 38,000 yrs BP and 14,000 yrs BP. The older of the two Merino Cave faunas, dated at about 38,000 yrs BP, is the first extensive assemblage for the mid-Otiran period from New Zealand. The moa fauna was dominated by the heavy-footed moa Pachyornis elephantopus, but the stout-legged moa Euryapteryx geranoides, upland moa Megalapteryx didinus, large bush moa Dinornis novaezealandiae, and slender moa D. struthoides were present. Carinates included the following: Eyles's harrier Circus eylesi, adzebill Aptornis defossor, large kiwis Apteryx australis or A. haastii, weka Gallirallus australis, New Zealand quail Coturnix novaezelandiae, Finsch's duck Euryanas finschi, kea Nestor notabilis, laughing owl Sceloglaux albifacies, and owletnightjar Aegotheles novaezealandiae. This assemblage indicates an open shrublandgrassland environment. The younger Merino Cave fauna was deposited between 20,000 and 14,000 years ago, during the last major glacial advance at the coldest time of the Otira Glaciation. Only moa bones were present, and P. elephantopus again dominated the fauna. This late Otiran population comprised larger individuals than did the midOtiran population, indicating mean size of individuals got bigger as the climate cooled.Holocene Hole had a rich deposit of small birds dating from the late Holocene, between 3,000 and 2,400 yrs BP. This fauna was deposited when continuous beech forest clothed the landscape. By then the large emeids P. elephantopus, E. geranoides, and M. didinus had been replaced in the fauna by the little bush moa Anomalopteryx didiformis in association with the large bush moa D. novaezealandiae. New Zealand quail and pipits Anthus novaeseelandiae were absent from the local fauna which was dominated by a range of forest species. However, the presence ofadzebills and Finsch's ducks, both absent in Holocene forests farther west, reflects the low rainfall and seasonal dryness of the area. Several species of petrels were present on Mt Cookson: Mottled petrels Pterodroma inexpectata. Cook's petrel Pterodroma cookii, shearwaters Puffinus sp., and diving petrels Pelecanoides urinatrix.The falcon deposits were dominated by bones of kiore Rattus exulans, and included a few bones of species introduced to New Zealand by Europeans, indicating that most of the remains were deposited in the...

The Quaternary fossil avifauna of Southland, South Island, New Zealand

“…The faunas from Mt Cookson in North Canterbury (Worthy & Holdaway 1995) provide the closest analogue to those from Southland. Mt Cookson had a closed-canopy forest of beech (Nothofagus) in the Late Holocene, and a fauna dominated by Anomalopteryx didiformis and Strigops habroptilus, yet Euryanas finschi and Aptornis defossor were also common.…”

“…Dunes could be expected to have provided a serai range of habitats from bare sand, through grassland, shrubland, to forest, comprising together an open vegetation mosaic. Emeus crassus and Pachyornis elephantopus dominated areas in Canterbury and lowland Otago where this vegetation physiognomy was present in the Holocene (Worthy & Holdaway 1995, Worthy 1997, 1998a The Holocene faunas of swamp deposits were most similar to those of dunes, which may relate to the fact that many of the swamps were adjacent to dunes In contrast, the caves were in ridges of limestone, elevated above the surrounding plains, and were probably vegetated in closed canopy podocarp forests of nmu (Dacrydium cupressinum) and totara {Podocarpus totara) throughout most of the Holocene The dominance of Anomalopteryx in such environments is usual for sites throughout New Zealand (Worthy & Holdaway 1993, 1994, 1995 Little can be deduced about the small bird fauna of dunes There were several species of seabird present, e g Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), whose bones may have their origins as either beach-cast specimens, or as resident species Terrestrial species were few, with the noticeable exception of Haast's Eagle (Harpagornis moorei) The large size of bones of this species, and its glamour status, did undoubtedly contribute to it appearing to be the most abundant terrestrial species in dune deposits It can be assumed to have lived in the forests and shrublands of the coastal dune systems This is consistent with patterns found elsewhere -moa faunas dominated by Emeus crassus were usually associated with Haast's Eagle (Worthy & Holdaway 1995, Worthy 1997, 1998a) Also of note is the cranial material of South Island Takahe (Porphyrw hochstetten), which with the eagle bones demonstrates the marked collection bias of earlier times, as few other smaller species were recorded The only other species of note was the extinct Crow (Corvus morwrum), as dunes provided its sole record in Southland It was rare in most inland faunas (Worthy & Holdaway 1995, Worthy 1997, 1998a), but often common in coastal situations, for example the Far North dunes (Millener 1981), or Marlborough (Worthy 1998b) Forty two species of native birds other than moa were found in cave deposits in Southland Many were represented by few specimens, and the small passerines were noticeably underrepresented This almost certainly results from poor collection techniques, but larger grounddwelling birds were expected to, and did, predominate in pitfall traps Thus nearly one third of all individuals were kiwis (Apteryx spp ) Kakapo (Stngops habroptilus), Fmsch's Duck (Euryanas finschi), and large rails accounted for most of the rest The high frequency of Euryanas and its association with the extinct galhnule Hodgens' Rail {Galhnula hodgenorum), South Island Takahe (Porphyrw hochstetten), extinct New Zealand Coot (Fulicapnsca) and the South Island Aptorms (Aptornis defossor) is interesting These species were absent from West Coast and northwest Nelson deposits of Holocene age that w...…”

Avifaunal changes revealed in Quaternary deposits near Waitomo Caves, North Island, New Zealand

“…Notably, New Zealand quail {Coturnix novaezelandiae) and pipit {Anthus novaeseelandiae) are absent from Holocene deposits of Waitomo, whereas they occur in eastern areas such as Hawke's Bay (Worthy & Holdaway 2000). The more homogeneous vegetation structure at Waitomo, with a largely unbroken forest canopy, may have excluded them even though open glades existed in some places.…”

“…Patterns are clearest in the South Island where climate extremes were accentuated by topography (Worthy 1999), and are also apparent in the eastern regions of the North Island (Worthy 2000;Worthy & Holdaway 2000).…”

Establishment and extinction of a population of South Georgian diving petrel(Pelecanoides georgicus)at Mason Bay, Stewart Island, New Zealand, during the late Holocene

“…The mottled petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata; 325 g) bred on North and South Islands until the early 20th century (Stead 1932) but vanished rapidly after the introduction of other predatory mammals. In contrast, Hutton's shearwater (Puffinus huttoni; 350 g) survives in montane grasslands in the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges (Harrow 1965;Sherley 1992;Taylor 2000) but may have had a much wider distribution before European settlement (Worthy & Holdaway 1995Worthy 1997Worthy , 1998b. Its survival at high altitudes when populations of small shearwaters (P. huttoni, P. gavia, and P. spelaeus) went extinct at lower altitudes in the South Island suggests that the mountains provided a refugium from predation.…”