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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.
Research Interests: Biology and Animal Life
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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... 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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The fossil record of <i>Leiopelma</i> frogs in New Zealand is patchy, with remains previously reported only from the early Miocene (16–19 Mya) and late Quaternary (past 20 Ka). Here we describe <i>Leiopelma... more
The fossil record of <i>Leiopelma</i> frogs in New Zealand is patchy, with remains previously reported only from the early Miocene (16–19 Mya) and late Quaternary (past 20 Ka). Here we describe <i>Leiopelma bishopi</i> n. sp. from the late Pliocene (3.7–2.4 Ma) of the eastern South Island. The subsequent extinction of frogs in this region is likely due to increased aridity following uplift of the Southern Alps and cooling associated with the Pleistocene Ice Ages. Discoveries from this unique Pliocene terrestrial fossil locality provide new and significant insights into how the dynamic climatic and geological history of Zealandia has shaped the evolution of its recent biota, especially for groups with a poor pre-Quaternary fossil record. <b>LSID:</b>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:457F4C99-A561-4C3B-802C-3412EA3D7D42 <b>Abbreviations:</b> SVL: snout-vent length; NMNZ: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand; WO: Waitomo Caves Museum, Waitomo, New Zealand
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A new species of giant petrel, Macronectes tinae sp. nov., is described from the Pliocene deposits of South Taranaki, New Zealand. The holotype is a near complete skull and the paratype a fragmentary left humerus; both come from the... more
A new species of giant petrel, Macronectes tinae sp. nov., is described from the Pliocene deposits of South Taranaki, New Zealand. The holotype is a near complete skull and the paratype a fragmentary left humerus; both come from the Tangahoe Formation, dating from the late Pliocene (Piacenzian or “Waipipian”; age estimated as ca. 3.36–3.06 Ma). The new species of giant petrel is the first fossil Macronectes ever reported. It is morphologically similar to the two present-day Macronectes spp., but it was a smaller bird. The skull is diagnosed by its overall smaller size, a proportionately longer apertura nasi ossea, and potentially by a shorter os supraocciptale. The humerus is diagnosed from both species by a proportionately less deep shaft, a more prominent medial portion of the epicondylus ventralis, and a larger and fusiform fossa medialis brachialis. The Tangahoe Formation is proving to be a remarkable source of marine vertebrate fossils and an important piece of the puzzle in un...
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Recent fossil discoveries from New Zealand have revealed a remarkably diverse assemblage of Paleocene stem group penguins. Here, we add to this growing record by describing nine new penguin specimens from the late Paleocene (upper Teurian... more
Recent fossil discoveries from New Zealand have revealed a remarkably diverse assemblage of Paleocene stem group penguins. Here, we add to this growing record by describing nine new penguin specimens from the late Paleocene (upper Teurian local stage; 55.5–59.5 Ma) Moeraki Formation of the South Island, New Zealand. The largest specimen is assigned to a new species, Kumimanu fordycei n. sp., which may have been the largest penguin ever to have lived. Allometric regressions based on humerus length and humerus proximal width of extant penguins yield mean estimates of a live body mass in the range of 148.0 kg (95% CI: 132.5 kg–165.3 kg) and 159.7 kg (95% CI: 142.6 kg–178.8 kg), respectively, for Kumimanu fordycei. A second new species, Petradyptes stonehousei n. gen. n. sp., is represented by five specimens and was slightly larger than the extant emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri. Two small humeri represent an additional smaller unnamed penguin species. Parsimony and Bayesian phylog...
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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... more
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 (<i>Cygnus atratus</i>) 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 (<i>C. sumnerensis</i>, Poūwa), divergent from modern (Australian) <i>C. atratus</i>. Morphological analyses indicate <i>C. sumnerensis</i> exhibited classic signs of the 'island rule' effect, being larger, and likely flight-reduced compared to <i>C. atratus</i>. 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.
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ABSTRACT Accurate and repeatable population estimates are key to establishing population trends and conservation status. Rako, or Buller’s Shearwater (Ardenna bulleri) is a seabird endemic to New Zealand that breeds only on the Poor... more
ABSTRACT Accurate and repeatable population estimates are key to establishing population trends and conservation status. Rako, or Buller’s Shearwater (Ardenna bulleri) is a seabird endemic to New Zealand that breeds only on the Poor Knights Islands, but forages throughout wider areas of the Pacific Ocean during the non-breeding season. The lack of threats on the breeding grounds and the wide foraging range of Buller’s Shearwaters makes them ideal sentinels of ocean health. Although they are commonly seen at sea and the population in the 1980s was thought to be around 2.5 million birds, other rapid land-based surveys suggested a much lower figure (~100,000 pairs on Aorangi), and no thorough population estimate has been undertaken to date. We calculated a population estimate for Buller’s Shearwater based on burrow counts and state of occupancy conducted at the Poor Knights during either the 2016–2017 or the 2017–2018 breeding seasons. We incorporated information on habitat availability and preference in population models. Our estimate of 78,645 (95% confidence interval 67,176–89,178) active burrows, broadly representing breeding pairs, is lower than some previously published assessments. This is a repeatable quantitative study of the Buller’s Shearwater breeding population, including breeding activity, and provides critical baseline data to determine population trends for this potentially important marine indicator species.
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Background Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the... more
Background Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (66 million years ago) and subsequently lost the ability to fly but enhanced their diving capabilities. With ∼20 species among 6 genera, penguins range from the tropical Galápagos Islands to the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea ice around Antarctica. To inhabit such diverse and extreme environments, penguins evolved many physiological and morphological adaptations. However, they are also highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, penguins provide an exciting target system for understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation, adaptation, and demography. Genomic data are an emerging resource for addressing questions about such processes. Results Here...
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Cyanoramphus parakeets are a key biogeographic element of the Pacific. Many of these parakeets are, however, endangered, with ongoing conservation management hampered by the unresolved taxonomic status of some populations. We used modern... more
Cyanoramphus parakeets are a key biogeographic element of the Pacific. Many of these parakeets are, however, endangered, with ongoing conservation management hampered by the unresolved taxonomic status of some populations. We used modern and ancient DNA (mitochondrial DNA control region) to assess the taxonomy of the Auckland Islands populations of red-crowned (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae) and yellow-crowned (Cyanoramphus auriceps) parakeets. Our analyses show that both red-crowned and yellow-crowned parakeets on the Auckland Islands are nested within the mainland New Zealand diversity of the two species. However, we also found an orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) mitochondrial DNA lineage within the genome of both of these species in the Auckland Islands population. Further sampling of historic orange-fronted parakeet museum skins showed that the orange-fronted morphotype is paraphyletic with respect to mitochondrial haplotype, which is probably caused by hybridisation or incomplete lineage sorting. In light of this, we review and critically assess the taxonomic history of the orange-fronted parakeet, and address whether the species was historically present on the Auckland Islands.
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Research Interests: Biology, Ecology, Multidisciplinary, The Royal Society, Fauna, and 3 moreNew Zealand, Waterfowl, and Anatidae
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Research Interests: Geology, Geophysics, Paleontology, Morphometrics, Osteology, and 4 moreNeogene, Genus, Nomen Dubium, and Holotype
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Penguins lost the ability to fly more than 60 million years ago, subsequently evolving a hyper-specialized marine body plan. Within the framework of a genome-scale, fossil-inclusive phylogeny, we identify key geological events that shaped... more
Penguins lost the ability to fly more than 60 million years ago, subsequently evolving a hyper-specialized marine body plan. Within the framework of a genome-scale, fossil-inclusive phylogeny, we identify key geological events that shaped penguin diversification and genomic signatures consistent with widespread refugia/recolonization during major climate oscillations. We further identify a suite of genes potentially underpinning adaptations related to thermoregulation, oxygenation, diving, vision, diet, immunity and body size, which might have facilitated their remarkable secondary transition to an aquatic ecology. Our analyses indicate that penguins and their sister group (Procellariiformes) have the lowest evolutionary rates yet detected in birds. Together, these findings help improve our understanding of how penguins have transitioned to the marine environment, successfully colonizing some of the most extreme environments on Earth.