The Context of Plant Invasions in New Zealand: Evolutionary History and Novel Niches

2006 ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Craine ◽  
W. G. Lee ◽  
S. Walker
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Plant Invasions

A new endemic family of New Zealand passerine birds: adding heat to a biodiversity hotspot

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Driskell ◽  
Les Christidis ◽  
B. J. Gill ◽  
Walter E. Boles ◽  
F. Keith Barker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Divergence Time ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Passerine Birds ◽  
New Family ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
History Of ◽  
Anthornis Melanura ◽  
Notiomystis Cincta

The results of phylogenetic analysis of two molecular datasets sampling all three endemic New Zealand ‘honeyeaters’ (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae, Anthornis melanura and Notiomystis cincta) are reported. The undisputed relatedness of the first two species to other honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), and a close relationship between them, are demonstrated. However, our results confirm that Notiomystis is not a honeyeater, but is instead most closely related to the Callaeidae (New Zealand wattlebirds) represented by Philesturnus carunculatus in our study. An estimated divergence time for Notiomystis and Philesturnus of 33.8 mya (Oligocene) suggests a very long evolutionary history of this clade in New Zealand. As a taxonomic interpretation of these data we place Notiomystis in a new family of its own which takes the name Notiomystidae. We expect this new phylogenetic and taxonomic information to assist policy decisions for the conservation of this rare bird.

Rautangaroa, a new genus of feather star (Echinodermata, Crinoidea) from the Oligocene of New Zealand

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 872-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz K. Baumiller ◽  
R. Ewan Fordyce
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Intact Specimen ◽  
History Of ◽  
Recovered Material ◽  
Feather Star ◽  
Established Genus

AbstractWe describe a nearly complete, and thus extremely rare, feather star (Crinoidea, Comatulida) from Oligocene strata of North Otago/South Canterbury, New Zealand. A detailed analysis of this specimen, as well as newly recovered material and previously described fragmentary remains from nearby contemporaneous sedimentary units, in addition to relevant historical specimens, lead us to conclude that it cannot be placed in any currently established genus. A new genus,Rautangaroa,is proposed to accommodate it.This intact specimen ofRautangaroa aotearoa(Eagle, 2007), provides rare data on the morphology of arms and cirri. It represents the first example of arm autotomy and regeneration in a fossil feather star and thus has bearing on the importance of predation to the evolutionary history of this group.UUID:http://zoobank.org/c050dafd-93ba-4334-b11b-59209aabb588

scholarly journals Combined Effects of UV-B and Drought on Native and Exotic Populations of Verbascum thapsus L.

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Hock ◽  
Carolin Plos ◽  
Maria Sporbert ◽  
Alexandra Erfmeier
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Ultraviolet B ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Resistant Plant ◽  
Verbascum Thapsus

During plant invasions, exotic species have to face new environmental challenges and are affected by interacting components of global change, which may include more stressful environmental conditions. We investigated an invasive species of New Zealand grasslands, commonly exposed to two concomitant and limiting abiotic factors—high levels of ultraviolet-B radiation and drought. The extent to which Verbascum thapsus may respond to these interacting stress factors via adaptive responses was assessed in a greenhouse experiment comprising native German plants and plants of exotic New Zealand origins. Plants from both origins were grown within four treatments resulting from the crossed combinations of two levels of UV-B and drought. Over twelve weeks, we recorded growth, morphological characteristics, physiological responses and productivity. The results showed that drought stress had the strongest effect on biomass, morphology and physiology. Significant effects of UV-B radiation were restricted to variables of leaf morphology and physiology. We found neither evidence for additive effects of UV-B and drought nor origin-dependent stress responses that would indicate local adaptation of native or exotic populations. We conclude that drought-resistant plant species might be predisposed to handle high UV-B levels, but emphasize the importance of setting comparable magnitudes in stress levels when testing experimentally for antagonistic interaction effects between two manipulated factors.

scholarly journals Ancient crested penguin constrains timing of recruitment into seabird hotspot

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1932) ◽  
pp. 20201497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel B. Thomas ◽  
Alan J. D. Tennyson ◽  
R. Paul Scofield ◽  
Tracy A. Heath ◽  
Walker Pett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Ancestral Area ◽  
Total Group ◽  
Late Neogene ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dietary Shifts ◽  
A New Species

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.

scholarly journals Weed seed contamination in imported seed lots entering New Zealand.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse M. Rubenstein ◽  
Philip E. Hulme ◽  
Christopher E. Buddenhagen ◽  
M. Philip Rolston ◽  
John G. Hampton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Vegetable Crop ◽  
Weed Seed ◽  
Major Pathway ◽  
International Agencies ◽  
Vegetable Seed ◽  
Crop Types ◽  
Crop Seed

Abstract Seed for sowing imports provide a major pathway for the introduction of contaminants, and many agricultural weeds that have now naturalized globally originally entered through this pathway. Management of this pathway is a significant means of preventing future plant invasions and helps minimize agricultural losses. This study examined frequency, origin and identity of contaminant seeds within seed for sowing shipments entering New Zealand between 2014-2018. Considering that seed lots imported into New Zealand are inspected at a higher intensity than required by other international agencies, data provide a window view of contaminants that move throughout the seed for sowing system. Contamination was rare, occurring in 1.9% of 41,610 seed lots across 1,420 crop seed species. Among the different crop types, arable had the lowest contamination rate (0.5%) and forage had the highest (12.6%). Of the commonly imported crop seeds, Capsicum, Phaseolus and Solanum, all had contamination rates of 0.0%. Crop seeds Medicago (27.3%) and Trifolium (19.8%) had the highest contamination rates. Out of 191 genera recorded as contaminants, Chenopodium was the most common. Regulated quarantine weeds were the rarest contaminant type, only occurring in 0.06% of seed lots. Sorghum halpense was the most common quarantine weed and was found only in vegetable seed lots. Vegetable crop seed lots accounted for approximately half of all quarantine weed detections, Raphanus sativus being the most contaminated vegetable crop. Seed lots from Italy had more quarantine weeds than other countries. Larger seed lots were significantly more contaminated and more likely to contain a quarantine weed than smaller seed lots. These findings support International Seed Testing Association rules on maximum seed lot weights. Low contamination rates suggest industry practices are effective in minimizing contaminant seeds. By characterising risks associated with crop seed importation, findings will help inform border inspection agencies with their targeted biosecurity efforts.

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