DOCSLIB.ORG

Extinctions: Past and Present

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Extinctions: Past and Present Extinctions: past and present Bio 415/615 March 5, 2013 Questions • What makes some species more vulnerable to extinction than others? • What are 5 modes of extinction? • What has caused mass extinctions in the geologic record? • How do recent rates of extinction compare to the historic record? • Why might extinction rates continue to increase in the near future? Background extinctions • Almost every species that ever existed is now extinct • Under “normal” conditions extinction rates are only slightly behind speciation rates Background extinctions • Estimates of paleo-extinctions derived from wide-ranging marine animals • Average species may survive for 1-10 million years • Fossil record is extremely fragmentary • Last true occurrence of a species is rarely ever known (Signor-Lipps Effect) Why do species go extinct? • Darwin thought species went extinct entirely because of natural selection – some species eventually become less fit relative to others and therefore go extinct. • Is extinction caused solely by reduced fitness (i.e. genetic factors) as Darwin thought? • What other factors may contribute to extinction? Species vulnerability to extinction • What makes some species more vulnerable to extinction than others? • Species with small geographic ranges • Narrowly distributed endemic species e.g. Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) in the American southwest • Species with small number of populations • Low population density/size e.g. Devils Hole pup fish in Nevada – may be the worlds rarest fish, only 1 natural population with < 100 individuals • As population size increases risk of extinction decreases Kerr 2013 *assuming no density dependence and b=d • Genetic Variability • Linked to population size • As population size decreases genetic variability also decreases • Deleterious alleles/traits may become fixed in the population • Less likely that adaptation to changing conditions/threats will be possible, increases extinction risk Species vulnerability to extinction Gonzalez-Suarez and Revilla, Ecology Letters 2013 Species on islands generally more vulnerable to extinction - isolated habitat - small geographic range - relatively small population sizes (decreased genetic variation) e.g. - ground nesting birds - “naïve” species (megafauna) Classic example: Dodo bird (Raphus cucullatus) extinct mid/late 1600’s Tambalacoque Mauritius 42% (57) of New Zealand’s bird species extinct - 38 following Polynesian arrival - 19 following European Factors leading to extinction: Huia - Hunting - Introduction of predators - Habitat loss Laughing Owl Haast’s Eagle Chatham Rail Poipoi Stephen’s Island Wren Modes of extinction • 5 modes of extinction 1) Extinction via reticulation e.g. Grey ducks and Mallards Modes of extinction • 5 modes of extinction 1) Extinction via reticulation 2) Extinction via competition/predation/pests e.g. introduced rats & house cats decimated pacific island birds Stephen’s Island Wren Modes of extinction • 5 modes of extinction 1) Extinction via reticulation 2) Extinction via competition/predation 3) Extinction via over-exploitation e.g. - human arrivals in New Zealand - human arrivals in Hawaii – extinctions of at least 39 endemic land birds - Passenger Pigeon – population of over 3 billion in 19th century to extinct by early 20th century - Pleistocene megafauna? Modes of extinction • 5 modes of extinction 1) Extinction via reticulation 2) Extinction via competition/predation 3) Extinction via over-exploitation 4) Extinction via habitat destruction e.g. - Passenger Pigeon – population of over 3 billion in 19th century to extinct by early 20th century - Ivory-billed woodpecker - Dusky Seaside sparrow Modes of extinction • 5 modes of extinction 1) Extinction via reticulation 2) Extinction via competition/predation 3) Extinction via over-exploitation 4) Extinction via habitat destruction 5) Extinction via changing environmental conditions e.g. Golden Toad (Cranopsis periglenes), formerly of Costa Rica Mass extinctions • A major episode of extinction for many taxa, occurring relatively quickly • 5 mass extinction events observed in the fossil record What causes mass extinctions? 1) Flood basalts and volcanism • Causes ocean acidification and anoxia • Evidence of massive flood basalts and volcanism coincide with Triassic and Permian mass extinction events • Also evidence for massive volcanic activity around Cretaceous extinction event Flood basalts and volcanism Timing of Jurrasic extinction Timing of Permian extinction Central Atlantic group (180 mya) Siberian traps (250 mya) Columbia River group (17-14 mya) Deccan traps (65 mya) Timing of Cretaceous extinction What causes mass extinctions? 1) Flood basalts and volcanism 2) Glaciation and cooling • Large-scale global cooling hypothesized as cause for Devonian extinction • Short consecutive glaciation events hypothesized as cause for Ordovician extinction What causes mass extinctions? 1) Flood basalts and volcanism 2) Glaciation and cooling 3) Extra-terrestrial impacts (asteroids, comets, bolides) • Alvarez et al. 1980. Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction. Science 208: 1095-1108. • Believed that a giant asteroid had hit the earth, that this had caused a dense cover of particulate matter in the atmosphere that blocked the sun, causing global cooling, and the death of many plants • They predicted that an iridium layer should separate cretaceous from tertiary strata • Swisher et al. 1992, also published in Science, found the asteroid crater on the ocean covered continental shelf of the Yucatan ScienceShot: Big Smash, Dead Dinos Recent findings show that the asteroid impact may have occurred at the same time as the mass extinction of the dinosaurs (± 32,000 years) Still much debate about timing and relative roles of impact versus volcanism and possible interactions of the two Pleistocene extinction • The sixth mass extinction? • Almost all North-American mega-fauna went extinction • Climate change? • Overkill hypothesis - Human arrival and overexploitation? • Comet impact? Mass extinction redirects the course of evolution down pathways defined by the survivors • Before Permian extinction Brachiopods were the dominant mollusc. Afterwards only a few remained • Mammals and birds come to dominance following extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago Recent extinctions Is there another mass extinction occurring right now? Recent extinctions • Background extinction rate has been calculated at 0.0001 – 0.00001% of species per year • Current rate of bird and mammal loss is 0.01% per year • 100-1000 times greater than historic background levels However… • Other estimates suggest current levels are only 36-78 times higher than historic levels (Regan 2001) • Remember fossil record is incomplete at best, so may lead to erroneous conclusions • Values calculated from short-term record may also lead to erroneous conclusions • Work by Pimm et al. (2006) • Approx. 10,000 known bird species • 129 recorded extinctions since 1500 = 26 extinctions/million species/year (compare to background rate of ~1 E/MSY) However, also need to include “cryptic” extinction estimates: • Many species are already extinct, or on verge, but we don’t yet know it • Remains of extinct species keep being found This may increase extinction rates to ~150E/MSY And could reach ~1500E/MSY by 2100 given predicted rates of habitat loss However, Conservation efforts have prevented many extinctions Do we expect rates of extinction to accelerate in the near future? Reasons we might expect this to be the case: 1)Increased habitat destruction 2)Increased introduction of pests/predators 3)Rapid climate change .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Birds New Zealand No. 11
    No. 11 September 2016 Birds New Zealand The Magazine of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand NO. 11 SEPTEMBER 2016 Proud supporter of Birds New Zealand Proud supporter of 3 President’s Report Birds New Zealand 5 New Birdwatching Location Maps We are thrilled with our decision 7 Subantarctic Penguins’ Marathon ‘Migration’ to support Birds New Zealand. Fruzio’s aim is to raise awareness of the dedicated 8 Laughing Owl related to Morepork work of Birds New Zealand and to enable wider public engagement with the organisation. We have 9 Fiordland Crested Penguin Update re-shaped our marketing strategy and made a firm commitment of $100,000 to be donated over the 11 Ancient New Zealand Wrens course of the next 3 years. Follow our journey on: www.facebook/fruzio. 12 Are Hihi Firing Blanks? 13 Birding Places - Waipu Estuary PUBLISHERS Hugh Clifford Tribute Published on behalf of the members of the Ornithological Society of 14 New Zealand (Inc). P.O. Box 834, Nelson 7040, New Zealand. Email: [email protected] 15 Minutes of the 77th AGM Website: www.osnz.org.nz Editor: Michael Szabo, 6/238, The Esplanade, Island Bay, Wellington 6023. Phone: (04) 383 5784 16 Regional Roundup Email: [email protected] ISSN 2357-1586 (Print) ISSN 2357-1594 (Online) 19 Bird News We welcome advertising enquiries. Free classified ads are available to members at the editor’s discretion. Articles and illustrations related to birds, birdwatching or ornithology in New Zealand and the South Pacific region for inclusion in Birds New Zealand are welcome in electronic form, including news about about birds, COVER IMAGE members’ activities, bird studies, birding sites, identification, letters to the editor, Front cover: Fiordland Crested Penguin or Tawaki in rainforest reviews, photographs and paintings.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation
    SCIENCE OF ECOLOGY AND ART OF CONSERVATION Protection of native species by applying scientific principles of conservation can save New Zealand’s threatened flora and fauna from extinction. Indeed, safeguarding species diversity and abundance will ensure today’s gene pool contributes to the ability of species’ to adapt in tomorrow’s changing environment. Greater biodiversity thereby enhances opportunities for the future evolution of new species. Ecological degradation began with the arrival of humans (circa 1280 AD), along with their cargo of predators to this archipelago. Many species were lost when Polynesians and Europeans respectively destroyed 32% and 38% of the country’s natural forests. Polynesians caused the extinction of >70 native species and European’s another 12 species. Prolonged hunting and habitat loss precipitated extinction of ~58 bird species*. Introduced predators quickly gained supremacy over smaller avian and insect species. Kiore (Rattus exulans) alone led to the loss of ~23 small bird, bat, reptile and invertebrate species. The worldwide IUCN Red List contains 784 extinct species, of which 27 have been lost in the past 20 years. The Red List’s threatened species includes 45 New Zealand birds, including the North Island kokako, kaka, kiwi, kakapo and mohua. The country’s birds are prone to predation and their numbers in most cases continue to decline (Table 1). This includes extinction of the South Island kokako, last reported to occur in Teal Creek, Mount Aspiring National Park in 1967 (Fig. 1). North Island kokako (Callaeas cinerea wilsoni) with their aquamarine wattle are few, and limited mostly to the Mainland Island Restoration Project, Otamatuna, Te Urewera National Park.
    [Show full text]
  • Distributions of New Zealand Birds on Real and Virtual Islands
    JARED M. DIAMOND 37 Department of Physiology, University of California Medical School, Los Angeles, California 90024, USA DISTRIBUTIONS OF NEW ZEALAND BIRDS ON REAL AND VIRTUAL ISLANDS Summary: This paper considers how habitat geometry affects New Zealand bird distributions on land-bridge islands, oceanic islands, and forest patches. The data base consists of distributions of 60 native land and freshwater bird species on 31 islands. A theoretical section examines how species incidences should vary with factors such as population density, island area, and dispersal ability, in two cases: immigration possible or impossible. New Zealand bird species are divided into water-crossers and non-crossers on the basis of six types of evidence. Overwater colonists of New Zealand from Australia tend to evolve into non-crossers through becoming flightless or else acquiring a fear of flying over water. The number of land-bridge islands occupied per species increases with abundance and is greater for water-crossers than for non-crossers, as expected theoretically. Non-crossers are virtually restricted to large land-bridge islands. The ability to occupy small islands correlates with abundance. Some absences of species from particular islands are due to man- caused extinctions, unfulfilled habitat requirements, or lack of foster hosts. However, many absences have no such explanation and simply represent extinctions that could not be (or have not yet been) reversed by immigrations. Extinctions of native forest species due to forest fragmentation on Banks Peninsula have especially befallen non-crossers, uncommon species, and species with large area requirements. In forest fragments throughout New Zealand the distributions and area requirements of species reflect their population density and dispersal ability.
    [Show full text]
  • Typical Owls Subfamily BUBONINAE Vigors: Hawk-Owls and Allies
    Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 264 & 266. Order STRIGIFORMES: Owls Regarding the following nomina dubia, see under genus Aegotheles Vigors & Horsfield: Strix parvissima Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7465. Nomen dubium. Strix parvissima Potts, 1871: Trans. N.Z. Inst. 3: 68 – Rangitata River, Canterbury. Nomen dubium. Athene (Strix) parvissima Potts; Potts 1873, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 5: 172. Nomen dubium Family STRIGIDAE Leach: Typical Owls Strigidae Leach, 1819: Eleventh room. In Synopsis Contents British Museum 15th Edition, London: 64 – Type genus Strix Linnaeus, 1758. Subfamily BUBONINAE Vigors: Hawk-owls and Allies Bubonina Vigors, 1825: Zoological Journal 2: 393 – Type genus Bubo Dumeril, 1805. Genus † Sceloglaux Kaup Sceloglaux Kaup, 1848: Isis von Oken, Heft 41: col. 768 – Type species (by monotypy) Athene albifacies G.R. Gray, 1844 = Sceloglaux albifacies (G.R. Gray). As a subgenus of Ninox. A monotypic genus endemic to New Zealand. König et al. (1999) noted that the laughing owl and the fearful owl Nesasio solomonensis of the Solomon Islands were very similar species but whether this is due to a relationship or convergence is unknown. † Sceloglaux albifacies (G.R. Gray) Laughing Owl Extinct. Known from North and South Islands and Stewart Island / Rakiura. Fossils of this owl, especially at sites where they accumulated food remains, are abundant in drier eastern regions of both main islands (Worthy & Holdaway 2002).
    [Show full text]
  • WLM Cover.Eps
    Seabird fauna of Long Point: a historical perspective Jens Andre Weller A report submitted in partial fulfilment of the Post-graduate Diploma in Wildlife Management University of Otago 2011 University of Otago Department of Zoology P.O. Box 56, Dunedin New Zealand WLM Report Number: 248 Seabird fauna of Long Point: a historical perspective By Jens Andre Weller University of Otago; Department of Zoology; 403 Wildlife Management Report; Po Box 56; Dunedin; NZ ©1929 Owaka museum 1 What is a scietist after all? It is a curious a lookig through a keyhole, the keyhole of nature, trying to know what’s goig o. Jacques Yves Cousteau 2 Contents: Page 1.0 Summary 5 2.0 Long Points/ Irahukas location and legal status 6 Figure 1: Sections of the Long Point/ Irahuka Reserve administered by YEP and DOC 7 2.2 Geological history of the Catlins 8 2.3 Climate in the Catlins 9 Figure 2: Geographical and geological details from Long Point/ Catlins 10 Figure 3: Southland Syncline overview 10 3.0 The Catlins flora before human arrival 11 3.1 Relative (sea) bird abundance and distribution in pre-human times 12 3.1.1 Table of historical baseline of breeding seabirds on the South Island 13-14 3.1.2 Table of extinct oceanic birds from New Zealand 15 4.0 The Catlins flora after the arrival of men 16-18 4.1.1 Table of vascular plant succession times 17 Figure 4: Possible deforestation after human occupation of the South Island 18 4.1 Recent vegetation patterns at Long Point 19-22 4.2 Investigations from Hamel at the Long Point midden 22 4.3 Changes in the (sea) bird
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation Status of New Zealand Birds, 2008
    Notornis, 2008, Vol. 55: 117-135 117 0029-4470 © The Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Inc. Conservation status of New Zealand birds, 2008 Colin M. Miskelly* Wellington Conservancy, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 5086, Wellington 6145, New Zealand [email protected] JOHN E. DOWDING DM Consultants, P.O. Box 36274, Merivale, Christchurch 8146, New Zealand GRAEME P. ELLIOTT Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 5, Nelson 7042, New Zealand RODNEY A. HITCHMOUGH RALPH G. POWLESLAND HUGH A. ROBERTSON Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 10420, Wellington 6143, New Zealand PAUL M. SAGAR National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 8602, Christchurch 8440, New Zealand R. PAUL SCOFIELD Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Ave, Christchurch 8001, New Zealand GRAEME A. TAYLOR Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 10420, Wellington 6143, New Zealand Abstract An appraisal of the conservation status of the post-1800 New Zealand avifauna is presented. The list comprises 428 taxa in the following categories: ‘Extinct’ 20, ‘Threatened’ 77 (comprising 24 ‘Nationally Critical’, 15 ‘Nationally Endangered’, 38 ‘Nationally Vulnerable’), ‘At Risk’ 93 (comprising 18 ‘Declining’, 10 ‘Recovering’, 17 ‘Relict’, 48 ‘Naturally Uncommon’), ‘Not Threatened’ (native and resident) 36, ‘Coloniser’ 8, ‘Migrant’ 27, ‘Vagrant’ 130, and ‘Introduced and Naturalised’ 36. One species was assessed as ‘Data Deficient’. The list uses the New Zealand Threat Classification System, which provides greater resolution of naturally uncommon taxa typical of insular environments than the IUCN threat ranking system. New Zealand taxa are here ranked at subspecies level, and in some cases population level, when populations are judged to be potentially taxonomically distinct on the basis of genetic data or morphological observations.
    [Show full text]
  • Adaptive Significance of Ear Tufts in Owls
    SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 383 Condor 83:383-384 0 The Cooper Ornithological Society 1981 ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF of a broken vertical branch. This effect is possible be- cause owls sit upright and most are colored in gray- EAR TUFTS IN OWLS browns and grays. The camouflage effect can occur only if owls with ear tufts roost on branches in daylight. Diurnal owls MICHAEL PERRONE, JR. often would lose the camouflage effect because of their activity. Furthermore, they roost chiefly at night when darkness itself hides them from visually directed ani- About 50 of the worlds’ 132 species of owls have on mals and makes ear tufts superfluous as camouflage. their heads tufts of feathers commonly called “ears” or Thus the camouflage hypothesis predicts the presence “horns.” The adaptive value of ear tufts has been con- of conspicuous ear tufts only on nocturnal owls that strued in two ways. First, the presence or absence of roost in trees or shrubs and predicts their absence on tufts may help distinguish species at short range all diurnal species. (Sparks and Soper 1970, Burton 1973). That is, tufts The species recognition hypothesis likewise pre- provide a silhouette which, when combined with dicts the absence of ear tufts on diurnal owls, since voice, facilitates species recognition; owls can see well such species presumably need not rely on silhouettes enough at night to distinguish head shapes, and tufted for identification. Thus, if diurnal species have con- and untufted species are often sympatric. spicuous ear tufts, both the camouflage and species Mysterud and Dunker (1979) proposed that ear tufts recognition hypotheses are weakened.
    [Show full text]
  • From-Moa-To-Dinosaurs-Short-Blad.Pdf
    For my brother Andrew, who found the best fossil — GC For Graham, always a source of inspiration — NB Gillian Candler is an award-winning author who brings her knowledge and skills in education and publishing to her passion for the natural world. She has always been intrigued by how New Zealand must have looked to the very first people who set foot here, and wanted to find out more about what animals lived here then. She found her first fossil when she was 5 years old – an experience she’ll never forget – and it opened up a whole new world of interest. contents Ned Barraud is an illustrator with a keen passion for the natural world. For him, this book was a perfect opportunity Travel back in time 4 to put on paper some of the most bizarre and fascinating creatures from New Zealand’s past. Ned lives in Wellington The changing land 6 with his wife and three children. Around 1000 years ago 8 The forest at night 10 other books in the explore & discover series In the mountains 12 All about moa 14 Many thanks to Alan Tennyson for his advice on the text Other extinct birds 16 and illustrations. The maps on pages 6–7 are based on those in George Gibbs’ book, Ghosts of Gondwana: A history of life in Survivors from the past 18 New Zealand. Around 19 million years ago 20 First published in 2016 by Animals of Lake Manuherikia 22 Potton & Burton 98 Vickerman Street, PO Box 5128, Nelson, The seas of Zealandia 24 New Zealand www.pottonandburton.co.nz Ancient sea creatures 26 Illustrations © Ned Barraud; text © Gillian Candler Around 80 million years ago 28 ISBN PB 978 0 947503 09 3; HB 978 0 947503 10 9 Dinosaurs and more 30 Printed in China by Midas Printing International Ltd Life on Gondwana 32 This book is copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • Geographical Variation in the Bone Length of Laughing Owls (Sceloglaux Albifacies)
    Geographical variation in the bone length of Laughing Owls (Sceloglaux albifacies) B.J. GILL Auckland Institute G Museum, Private Bag 92018, Aucbland, New Zeabnd ABSTRACT Measurements of the lengths of fossil bones show that North Island Laughing Owls were appreciably smaller than South Island ones. Humeri and tarsometatarsi from the North Island were on average significantly shorter than those from the South Island. The regressions of humerus length and tarsometatarsus length on latitude were significant, and length and latitude were positively correlated. The North Island samples were too small to establish whether variation was clinal, and in the meantime the continued recognition of North and South Island subspecies seems warranted. KEYWORDS: Laughing Owl, Sceloglaux, fossil bones, geographical variation, subspecies. INTRODUCI'ION In the middle years of last century, Laughing Owls Sceloglaux alb~fucies (Strigidae) were fairly abundant in eastern areas of the South Island but extremely rare in the North Island (see Oliver 1955). The type specimen of Gray's albzfacies was a South Island bird, from Waikouaiti near Dunedin. Buller (1904) described a new species, Sceloglaux rufiiacies, on the basis of an adult female that had been received freshly killed by the Colonial Museum in the summer of 1868-9 from a settler in the Wairarapa district about 50 miles from Wellington (Buller 1905: 67). It was "appreciably smaller" than the South Island species and had more rufous colouring on the facial disc and upperparts generally. The North and South Island populations are currently considered to be separate subspecies (Turbott 1990). The specimen that became the holotype of Buller's ruffacies was skinned and sexed on receipt by the Colonial Museum and two years later was taken by Buller to London to be mounted by a taxidermist (Buller 1905: 67).
    [Show full text]
  • Proposed Extinct Species Trade Regulations
    Discussion Document Proposed Extinct Species Trade Regulations Department of Conservation July 2020 2 Cover photo: Moa skull and bones, Euryapteryx curtus, LB725. © Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira CC BY. Published by: Policy and Visitor Services Group, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, The Terrace, Wellington 6143, New Zealand © Copyright 2020, New Zealand Department of Conservation This report may be freely copied provided that the Department of Conservation is acknowledged as the source of the information. ISBN: 978-0-473-51824-0 (soft cover) ISBN: 978-0-473-51825-7 (pdf) Discussion Document: Proposed Extinct Species Trade Regulations 2020 3 Contents 1. Foreword ....................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 6 3. The value of extinct species ............................................................................................... 7 3.1. Existing protection of sites ...................................................................................................... 8 4. Extinct species held by collectors ................................................................................. 10 5. The problem............................................................................................................................... 11 5.1. Consultation to date .................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Native New Zealand Land Birds Present During the Holocene
    Native New Zealand land birds Compiled by Kerry-Jayne Wilson This list shows all native species of land birds known to have been present during the Holocene (since the end of the ice ages). Subspecies and subfamilies are included only if they are endemic to New Zealand. The scientific and common names, and the status shown, follow Appendix 1 (with minor updates) in Kerry-Jayne Wilson, Flight of the huia: ecology and conservation of New Zealand’s frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press, 2004. Scientific name Common name Status Order Dinornithiformes (endemic order) Moa – Family Emeidae Subfamily Anomalopteryginae Anomalopteryx didiformis Little bush moa Endemic, extinct Megalapteryx didinus Upland moa Endemic, extinct Pachyornis geranoides Mantell’s moa Endemic, extinct P. elephantopus Heavy-footed moa Endemic, extinct P. australis Crested moa Endemic, extinct Subfamily Emeinae Emeus crassus Eastern moa Endemic, extinct Euryapteryx gravis Stout-legged moa Endemic, extinct E. curtus Coastal moa Endemic, extinct Moa – Family Dinornithidae Dinornis novaezealandiae North Island giant moa Endemic, extinct D. robustus South Island giant moa Endemic, extinct Order Apterygiformes (endemic order) Kiwi – Family Apterygidae Apteryx mantelli Northern brown kiwi Endemic, threatened A. australis Tokoeka Endemic, threatened A. new species Eastern kiwi Endemic, extinct A. rowi Rowi (Ōkarito brown kiwi) Endemic, threatened A. owenii Little spotted kiwi Endemic, threatened A. haastii Great spotted kiwi Endemic, threatened Downloaded from Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand All rights reserved http://www.TeAra.govt.nz Order Anseriformes Swans, geese and ducks – Family Anatidae Cnemiornis calcitrans South Is. goose Endemic, extinct C. gracilis North Is. goose Endemic, extinct Order Falconiformes Eagles and hawks – Family Accipitridae Circus approximans Australasian harrier/kāhu Native C.
    [Show full text]
  • REVIEW Good Predators: the Roles of Weka (Gallirallus Australis)
    1New Zealand Journal of Ecology (2021) 45(1): 3425 © 2021 New Zealand EcologicalNew Society. Zealand Journal of Ecology, Vol. 45, No. 1, 2021 REVIEW Good predators: the roles of weka (Gallirallus australis) in New Zealand’s past and present ecosystems Joanna K. Carpenter1* , John G. Innes2 , Jamie R. Wood3 , and Phil O’B. Lyver3 1Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Private Bag 1930, Dunedin, New Zealand 2Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton, New Zealand 3Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand *Corresponding author (Email: [email protected]) Published online: 18 November 2020 Abstract: There is increasing interest in restoring native predators in order to regulate ecosystems and maintain biodiversity, but predator reintroductions are still controversial for complex social and ecological reasons. Few studies have examined predator restoration on islands or in ecosanctuaries, where highly endemic faunas have typically undergone precipitous declines and extinctions due to novel invasive predators, and translocations are used to restore species. Currently in New Zealand, discussions regarding predators typically focus on introduced mammalian pests, and the importance of native predators is frequently overlooked. We present a case study of the mesopredatory New Zealand weka (Gallirallus australis), a threatened flightless rail that provokes controversy among restoration practitioners due to concerns that it may decrease populations of other threatened species. We (1) review studies of weka diet and impacts on native and exotic fauna; (2) contrast prehistoric and contemporary predation webs focused on weka; and (3) consider the role of biocultural approaches in the management and restoration of socio-ecological systems with weka. Weka are opportunistic omnivores that can include vertebrates in their diet, and on small islands where weka can reach high densities there is some evidence that they may limit some prey populations.
    [Show full text]