General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public port... more General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the KNAW public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain. • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the KNAW public portal. Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
We describe a new Procellaria petrel species from the late Pliocene of Taranaki, New Zealand. The... more We describe a new Procellaria petrel species from the late Pliocene of Taranaki, New Zealand. The new species is most similar morphologically to the White-Chinned Petrel (P. aequinoctialis), Spectacled Petrel (P. conspicillata) and the Westland Petrel (P. westlandica). Compared with those taxa, the new species has a deeper and shorter premaxilla, longer coracoid and shorter wings, while its legs are a similar size. Today, New Zealand is the centre of global diversity of the genus, with four breeding species. This is the first fossil species of Procellaria to be described from New Zealand, attesting to a reasonably long history of this genus in the region.
A late Pliocene (3.36-3.06 Ma) exposure of the Tangahoe Formation on the North Island of New Zeal... more A late Pliocene (3.36-3.06 Ma) exposure of the Tangahoe Formation on the North Island of New Zealand preserves close fossil relatives of many extant seabird clades. Here, we report an extinct member of the little penguin (Eudyptula Bonaparte, 1856) lineage from the Tangahoe Formation-the smallest extinct crown penguin yet known. Eudyptula wilsonae n. sp. is based on the nearly complete skulls of an adult and a fledged but immature individual. Both skulls show more slender proportions than modern little penguins and precede genome-derived estimates for the divergence between Eudyptula minor minor Forster, 1781 (endemic to New Zealand) and Eudyptula m. novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826 (native to Australia and recently established in New Zealand). This raises the possibility that the fossil taxon represents a lineage directly ancestral to extant little penguins. Our results support a Zealandian origin for little penguins, with subsequent Pleistocene dispersal to Australia and a more recent Holocene range expansion of Eudyptula m. novaehollandiae back into New Zealand.
We present population size estimates of mouymawk species at Bollons Island in the Antipodes group... more We present population size estimates of mouymawk species at Bollons Island in the Antipodes group based on counts in 1994 and 1995. Totals of 115 pairs of Black-bmwd Mollymawk~Diomedea m mefanopbrys and about 20 pairs ofWhite-capped Mollymawks D. cautn steadi were estimated to be nesting. Based on previous counts from Bollons Island and population estimates horn other islands in the New Zealand region, we ~wnclude that numbers of D. m. melanopbtys have increased in his region, in contrast to D. m. impavida which has decreased. The few data on the population size ofD, cauta stead hint at a population increase in that taxon also.
During some 40 years' research, ten species of gadfly petrel, Pterodroma spp., have been reported... more During some 40 years' research, ten species of gadfly petrel, Pterodroma spp., have been reported from Holocene fossil assemblages from the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Statistical analysis of the assemblages' species composition and a critical appraisal of all claimed identifications have resulted in a re-assessment of fossil Pterodroma diversity prior to human arrival. Three species are confirmed as original breeding residents; the endemic Pterodroma magentae and P. axillaris, and the undescribed extinct Pterodroma sp.1. Additionally, P. nigripennis is confirmed as a vagrant. Possible records of further vagrant species, P. inexpectata, P. macroptera or P. lessonii and P. neglecta cannot yet be confirmed.
A previously unknown Moriori-based account of the extinct Hawkins' rail (Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi)... more A previously unknown Moriori-based account of the extinct Hawkins' rail (Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi) from the Chatham Islands is presented and discussed. The account, recorded by Sigvard Jacob Dannefaerd in a letter to Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild in 1895, includes details of the species' appearance, behaviour and Moriori hunting methods. A second, similar description of a previously unidentified Chatham Island bird is also linked to Hawkins' rail. The clarity of the accounts suggests a considerably later extinction date for the species than previously supposed.
A response to Worthy et al. 2022. A swan-sized fossil anatid (Aves: Anatidae) from the early Mioc... more A response to Worthy et al. 2022. A swan-sized fossil anatid (Aves: Anatidae) from the early Miocene St Bathans Fauna of New Zealand. Zootaxa, 5168 (1), 39-50.
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Aug 12, 2020
New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record... more New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record for most seabird lineages has impeded our understanding of how and when this hotspot developed. Here, we describe multiple exceptionally well-preserved specimens of a new species of penguin from tightly dated (3.36-3.06 Ma) Pliocene deposits in New Zealand. Bayesian and parsimony analyses place Eudyptes atatu sp. nov. as the sister species to all extant and recently extinct members of the crested penguin genus Eudyptes. The new species has a markedly more slender upper beak and mandible compared with other Eudyptes penguins. Our combined evidence approach reveals that deep bills evolved in both crested and stiff-tailed penguins (Pygoscelis) during the Pliocene. That deep bills arose so late in the greater than 60 million year evolutionary history of penguins suggests that dietary shifts may have occurred as wind-driven Pliocene upwelling radically restructured southern ocean ecosystems. Ancestral area reconstructions using BioGeoBEARS identify New Zealand as the most likely ancestral area for total-group penguins, crown penguins and crested penguins. Our analyses provide a timeframe for recruitment of crown penguins into the New Zealand avifauna, indicating this process began in the late Neogene and was completed via multiple waves of colonizing lineages.
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Aug 12, 2020
New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record... more New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record for most seabird lineages has impeded our understanding of how and when this hotspot developed. Here, we describe multiple exceptionally well-preserved specimens of a new species of penguin from tightly dated (3.36-3.06 Ma) Pliocene deposits in New Zealand. Bayesian and parsimony analyses place Eudyptes atatu sp. nov. as the sister species to all extant and recently extinct members of the crested penguin genus Eudyptes. The new species has a markedly more slender upper beak and mandible compared with other Eudyptes penguins. Our combined evidence approach reveals that deep bills evolved in both crested and stiff-tailed penguins (Pygoscelis) during the Pliocene. That deep bills arose so late in the greater than 60 million year evolutionary history of penguins suggests that dietary shifts may have occurred as wind-driven Pliocene upwelling radically restructured southern ocean ecosystems. Ancestral area reconstructions using BioGeoBEARS identify New Zealand as the most likely ancestral area for total-group penguins, crown penguins and crested penguins. Our analyses provide a timeframe for recruitment of crown penguins into the New Zealand avifauna, indicating this process began in the late Neogene and was completed via multiple waves of colonizing lineages.
Animals are exposed to the changing environments. Animal evolution is a kind of the accumulated m... more Animals are exposed to the changing environments. Animal evolution is a kind of the accumulated memories of biological adaptions to the surrounding nature. Changing nature produces tremendous variations in biological kingdom.
Recent advances in the control of mammalian predators have begun to reveal interspecific competit... more Recent advances in the control of mammalian predators have begun to reveal interspecific competition as a key driver in the structure of New Zealand forest bird communities once predation pressure is reduced. We present evidence that, when at high densities, South Island robins (Petroica australis) may be responsible for declines in a suite of smaller native and introduced songbird species. Bird surveys undertaken on 47 islands in Breaksea Sound and Dusky Sound, Fiordland, during 1974 to 1986, were repeated on the same islands in 2016 or 2019. During the first block of surveys, Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) were present on two islands, and stoats (Mustela erminea) were known or presumed to regularly reach 43 of the remaining islands. The rats were eradicated in 1986 and 1988, and stoats have been controlled to zero density since 2001 on all 28 of the islands surveyed in Dusky Sound, and since 2008 on 12 of 19 islands surveyed in Breaksea Sound. Bird species that apparently benefited from pest mammal eradications included South Island robin (Petroica australis) and kākā (Nestor meridionalis), both of which are endemic. Species recorded less often after the eradications included tomtit (Petroica macrocephala), grey warbler (Gerygone igata), silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), dunnock (Prunella modularis), and chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)-a mixture of endemic, native, and introduced species. We hypothesise that these five species have been outcompeted or displaced by the now widespread and abundant South Island robin, probably through aggressive interactions.
IntroductIon The spotted shag (Stictocarbo punctatus) is endemic to New Zealand and has a total p... more IntroductIon The spotted shag (Stictocarbo punctatus) is endemic to New Zealand and has a total population of up to 30,000 breeding pairs. Spotted shags are found mainly around the South I, with only small scattered colonies around the North I, and (treating all Wellington Harbour colonies as one population) only 2 in the Wellington region (Taylor 2000; Gill et al. 2010). It has been suggested that North I populations are declining (e.g., Taylor 2000; Cameron et al. 2007), but there are few counts available. Taylor (2000) recommended Matiu/Somes I (41.249 S, 174.853 E), in Wellington Harbour, as an ideal site for long term monitoring of this species. The population of spotted shags at Matiu/ Somes I has been documented since 1972 when Kendrick (1973) noted 7 nests at the site. This
The global phylogenetic relationships of the extinct Scarlett's Shearwater (Puffinus spelaeus) fr... more The global phylogenetic relationships of the extinct Scarlett's Shearwater (Puffinus spelaeus) from New Zealand are examined using ancient DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. The cytochrome b sequences obtained confirm the distinctiveness of this taxon. It forms a strongly-supported clade with two other New Zealand species, suggesting a radiation of similar-sized species in this region. Molecular dating suggests Pleistocene divergences within this clade.
Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand, Sep 1, 2013
Six museum kiwi (Apteryx spp.) specimens of unknown or uncertain provenance were assigned to spec... more Six museum kiwi (Apteryx spp.) specimens of unknown or uncertain provenance were assigned to species using ancient DNA methods in conjunction with a reference database of modern and ancient kiwi DNA sequences. Four of the five species of kiwi exhibit a substantial overlap in bone morphology but can be identified with DNA sequences. The origin of one specimen, an articulated kiwi skeleton, was determined to be Stewart Island, a region that is currently poorly represented in museum collections. This study demonstrates that DNA analyses can add value to museum collections by determining species and provenance of specimens.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2016
Respiratory pores are essential for the survival of the embryo within the eggshell. Distribution ... more Respiratory pores are essential for the survival of the embryo within the eggshell. Distribution patterns of such pores on ostrich (Struthio camelus) eggshells show remarkable variations in bird group. Eggshells preserved in the museum of New Zealand have long, superficial, winding grooves and ridges, with pores distributed densely in the bottom of grooves. Both the grooves and ridges that separate them are twisted. By contrast, the surfaces of eggs from farmed ostriches are mostly smooth, with only occasional, short grooves, and respiratory pores distributed more evenly. The cause of ridging and grooving of the surface of eggs from wild birds is unclear but may be due to the need for stronger shells and effects of environmental stresses. It appears that the arrangement of respiratory pores on ostrich eggshells seems to be changeable by surrounding stresses.
General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public port... more General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the KNAW public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain. • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the KNAW public portal. Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
We describe a new Procellaria petrel species from the late Pliocene of Taranaki, New Zealand. The... more We describe a new Procellaria petrel species from the late Pliocene of Taranaki, New Zealand. The new species is most similar morphologically to the White-Chinned Petrel (P. aequinoctialis), Spectacled Petrel (P. conspicillata) and the Westland Petrel (P. westlandica). Compared with those taxa, the new species has a deeper and shorter premaxilla, longer coracoid and shorter wings, while its legs are a similar size. Today, New Zealand is the centre of global diversity of the genus, with four breeding species. This is the first fossil species of Procellaria to be described from New Zealand, attesting to a reasonably long history of this genus in the region.
A late Pliocene (3.36-3.06 Ma) exposure of the Tangahoe Formation on the North Island of New Zeal... more A late Pliocene (3.36-3.06 Ma) exposure of the Tangahoe Formation on the North Island of New Zealand preserves close fossil relatives of many extant seabird clades. Here, we report an extinct member of the little penguin (Eudyptula Bonaparte, 1856) lineage from the Tangahoe Formation-the smallest extinct crown penguin yet known. Eudyptula wilsonae n. sp. is based on the nearly complete skulls of an adult and a fledged but immature individual. Both skulls show more slender proportions than modern little penguins and precede genome-derived estimates for the divergence between Eudyptula minor minor Forster, 1781 (endemic to New Zealand) and Eudyptula m. novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826 (native to Australia and recently established in New Zealand). This raises the possibility that the fossil taxon represents a lineage directly ancestral to extant little penguins. Our results support a Zealandian origin for little penguins, with subsequent Pleistocene dispersal to Australia and a more recent Holocene range expansion of Eudyptula m. novaehollandiae back into New Zealand.
We present population size estimates of mouymawk species at Bollons Island in the Antipodes group... more We present population size estimates of mouymawk species at Bollons Island in the Antipodes group based on counts in 1994 and 1995. Totals of 115 pairs of Black-bmwd Mollymawk~Diomedea m mefanopbrys and about 20 pairs ofWhite-capped Mollymawks D. cautn steadi were estimated to be nesting. Based on previous counts from Bollons Island and population estimates horn other islands in the New Zealand region, we ~wnclude that numbers of D. m. melanopbtys have increased in his region, in contrast to D. m. impavida which has decreased. The few data on the population size ofD, cauta stead hint at a population increase in that taxon also.
During some 40 years' research, ten species of gadfly petrel, Pterodroma spp., have been reported... more During some 40 years' research, ten species of gadfly petrel, Pterodroma spp., have been reported from Holocene fossil assemblages from the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Statistical analysis of the assemblages' species composition and a critical appraisal of all claimed identifications have resulted in a re-assessment of fossil Pterodroma diversity prior to human arrival. Three species are confirmed as original breeding residents; the endemic Pterodroma magentae and P. axillaris, and the undescribed extinct Pterodroma sp.1. Additionally, P. nigripennis is confirmed as a vagrant. Possible records of further vagrant species, P. inexpectata, P. macroptera or P. lessonii and P. neglecta cannot yet be confirmed.
A previously unknown Moriori-based account of the extinct Hawkins' rail (Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi)... more A previously unknown Moriori-based account of the extinct Hawkins' rail (Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi) from the Chatham Islands is presented and discussed. The account, recorded by Sigvard Jacob Dannefaerd in a letter to Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild in 1895, includes details of the species' appearance, behaviour and Moriori hunting methods. A second, similar description of a previously unidentified Chatham Island bird is also linked to Hawkins' rail. The clarity of the accounts suggests a considerably later extinction date for the species than previously supposed.
A response to Worthy et al. 2022. A swan-sized fossil anatid (Aves: Anatidae) from the early Mioc... more A response to Worthy et al. 2022. A swan-sized fossil anatid (Aves: Anatidae) from the early Miocene St Bathans Fauna of New Zealand. Zootaxa, 5168 (1), 39-50.
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Aug 12, 2020
New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record... more New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record for most seabird lineages has impeded our understanding of how and when this hotspot developed. Here, we describe multiple exceptionally well-preserved specimens of a new species of penguin from tightly dated (3.36-3.06 Ma) Pliocene deposits in New Zealand. Bayesian and parsimony analyses place Eudyptes atatu sp. nov. as the sister species to all extant and recently extinct members of the crested penguin genus Eudyptes. The new species has a markedly more slender upper beak and mandible compared with other Eudyptes penguins. Our combined evidence approach reveals that deep bills evolved in both crested and stiff-tailed penguins (Pygoscelis) during the Pliocene. That deep bills arose so late in the greater than 60 million year evolutionary history of penguins suggests that dietary shifts may have occurred as wind-driven Pliocene upwelling radically restructured southern ocean ecosystems. Ancestral area reconstructions using BioGeoBEARS identify New Zealand as the most likely ancestral area for total-group penguins, crown penguins and crested penguins. Our analyses provide a timeframe for recruitment of crown penguins into the New Zealand avifauna, indicating this process began in the late Neogene and was completed via multiple waves of colonizing lineages.
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Aug 12, 2020
New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record... more New Zealand is a globally significant hotspot for seabird diversity, but the sparse fossil record for most seabird lineages has impeded our understanding of how and when this hotspot developed. Here, we describe multiple exceptionally well-preserved specimens of a new species of penguin from tightly dated (3.36-3.06 Ma) Pliocene deposits in New Zealand. Bayesian and parsimony analyses place Eudyptes atatu sp. nov. as the sister species to all extant and recently extinct members of the crested penguin genus Eudyptes. The new species has a markedly more slender upper beak and mandible compared with other Eudyptes penguins. Our combined evidence approach reveals that deep bills evolved in both crested and stiff-tailed penguins (Pygoscelis) during the Pliocene. That deep bills arose so late in the greater than 60 million year evolutionary history of penguins suggests that dietary shifts may have occurred as wind-driven Pliocene upwelling radically restructured southern ocean ecosystems. Ancestral area reconstructions using BioGeoBEARS identify New Zealand as the most likely ancestral area for total-group penguins, crown penguins and crested penguins. Our analyses provide a timeframe for recruitment of crown penguins into the New Zealand avifauna, indicating this process began in the late Neogene and was completed via multiple waves of colonizing lineages.
Animals are exposed to the changing environments. Animal evolution is a kind of the accumulated m... more Animals are exposed to the changing environments. Animal evolution is a kind of the accumulated memories of biological adaptions to the surrounding nature. Changing nature produces tremendous variations in biological kingdom.
Recent advances in the control of mammalian predators have begun to reveal interspecific competit... more Recent advances in the control of mammalian predators have begun to reveal interspecific competition as a key driver in the structure of New Zealand forest bird communities once predation pressure is reduced. We present evidence that, when at high densities, South Island robins (Petroica australis) may be responsible for declines in a suite of smaller native and introduced songbird species. Bird surveys undertaken on 47 islands in Breaksea Sound and Dusky Sound, Fiordland, during 1974 to 1986, were repeated on the same islands in 2016 or 2019. During the first block of surveys, Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) were present on two islands, and stoats (Mustela erminea) were known or presumed to regularly reach 43 of the remaining islands. The rats were eradicated in 1986 and 1988, and stoats have been controlled to zero density since 2001 on all 28 of the islands surveyed in Dusky Sound, and since 2008 on 12 of 19 islands surveyed in Breaksea Sound. Bird species that apparently benefited from pest mammal eradications included South Island robin (Petroica australis) and kākā (Nestor meridionalis), both of which are endemic. Species recorded less often after the eradications included tomtit (Petroica macrocephala), grey warbler (Gerygone igata), silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), dunnock (Prunella modularis), and chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)-a mixture of endemic, native, and introduced species. We hypothesise that these five species have been outcompeted or displaced by the now widespread and abundant South Island robin, probably through aggressive interactions.
IntroductIon The spotted shag (Stictocarbo punctatus) is endemic to New Zealand and has a total p... more IntroductIon The spotted shag (Stictocarbo punctatus) is endemic to New Zealand and has a total population of up to 30,000 breeding pairs. Spotted shags are found mainly around the South I, with only small scattered colonies around the North I, and (treating all Wellington Harbour colonies as one population) only 2 in the Wellington region (Taylor 2000; Gill et al. 2010). It has been suggested that North I populations are declining (e.g., Taylor 2000; Cameron et al. 2007), but there are few counts available. Taylor (2000) recommended Matiu/Somes I (41.249 S, 174.853 E), in Wellington Harbour, as an ideal site for long term monitoring of this species. The population of spotted shags at Matiu/ Somes I has been documented since 1972 when Kendrick (1973) noted 7 nests at the site. This
The global phylogenetic relationships of the extinct Scarlett's Shearwater (Puffinus spelaeus) fr... more The global phylogenetic relationships of the extinct Scarlett's Shearwater (Puffinus spelaeus) from New Zealand are examined using ancient DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. The cytochrome b sequences obtained confirm the distinctiveness of this taxon. It forms a strongly-supported clade with two other New Zealand species, suggesting a radiation of similar-sized species in this region. Molecular dating suggests Pleistocene divergences within this clade.
Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand, Sep 1, 2013
Six museum kiwi (Apteryx spp.) specimens of unknown or uncertain provenance were assigned to spec... more Six museum kiwi (Apteryx spp.) specimens of unknown or uncertain provenance were assigned to species using ancient DNA methods in conjunction with a reference database of modern and ancient kiwi DNA sequences. Four of the five species of kiwi exhibit a substantial overlap in bone morphology but can be identified with DNA sequences. The origin of one specimen, an articulated kiwi skeleton, was determined to be Stewart Island, a region that is currently poorly represented in museum collections. This study demonstrates that DNA analyses can add value to museum collections by determining species and provenance of specimens.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2016
Respiratory pores are essential for the survival of the embryo within the eggshell. Distribution ... more Respiratory pores are essential for the survival of the embryo within the eggshell. Distribution patterns of such pores on ostrich (Struthio camelus) eggshells show remarkable variations in bird group. Eggshells preserved in the museum of New Zealand have long, superficial, winding grooves and ridges, with pores distributed densely in the bottom of grooves. Both the grooves and ridges that separate them are twisted. By contrast, the surfaces of eggs from farmed ostriches are mostly smooth, with only occasional, short grooves, and respiratory pores distributed more evenly. The cause of ridging and grooving of the surface of eggs from wild birds is unclear but may be due to the need for stronger shells and effects of environmental stresses. It appears that the arrangement of respiratory pores on ostrich eggshells seems to be changeable by surrounding stresses.
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