Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin: A case of human-assisted spread of a maladaptive behavior in a critically endangered bird Raazesh Sainudiiny yDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Parts are Joint work with: James Briskie, Marie Hale, Melanie Massaro, Don Merton, Anthony Poole October 24 2012, CMAP, École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France 1 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Chatham Islands – Geography & Ecological History Ecological History of Black Robins Tests for Heritability of Rim-laying in 1980s PVA with Behaviourially Realistic Population Pedigree Models A Field Excursion 2 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Part I 3 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Chatham Islands – Geography & Ecological History Map of Antarctica (English / French) 4 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Chatham Islands – Geography & Ecological History Chatham Islands (New Zealand) Topographical Map 5 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Chatham Islands – Geography & Ecological History Chatham Islands (New Zealand) I The Chatham Islands lie 767 kilometres south-east of mainland New Zealand. I There are two main islands – Chatham Island and Pitt Island I and many smaller islands – including Little Mangere, Mangere and Rangatira I The islands have only emerged above sea level in the last 4 million years and are part of the Chathams rise connected below ocean to NZ. I The climate is cool and wet with salt-laden winds all year round. 6 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Chatham Islands – Geography & Ecological History Chatham Islands (New Zealand) Chatham Islands From Space Chatham Is. Rangatira Pitt Is. Mangere Little Mangare 7 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Chatham Islands – Geography & Ecological History Chatham Islands (New Zealand) Rangatira Island g W n es i te d rn n a a L r l a yd nd H in 's g ly il L My rs i n x e ne n A W h al I is the third largest island er s W d No ha e r l h th C ss er s ro s Bay ol Echo's o t W es W W h a 's S l e outh Cross e Ik r C 's s h cey -T i q a hin is uitas S t orn in the Chatham Islands T Ji h l l's in T o ora's rn is G+G Z o r r h o s 's u B L d on n g a D l s r I p o I covers an area of 218 p o Marlesh r r D e g Low on r L pe p S U i Upper Marle n sh b a d 's A u's hectares (539 acres) T r i g it m m u p s S m ' a n o w R S U u p p o F p r R k a e o o n r Pa n ra 's k K a S e et n u d I is a gazetted nature p m R K m o m u a k a o i w p t Pr u er io S p n P cr p e U arad e e P k loaca are sty C a Cru O 's io ld N F or est K ix ar pend e ns oop reserve since 1953 Ap C y L F s ba a le s t n e i ta r i a c l K L r r m a s s C n e ' e - t m T ' n s a u r S o i r g e R W U p p S st e cu Scuzz E a ak z z West e h Sum m k lear rt A Ea t C s o it s N K C I is now home to many 's endemic species C l e a r s I is home to black robins– saved from near extinction by team led by Rangatira Island Nature Reserve Map by Dave Houston v1 - 14/07/2011 Don Merton in the 1980s 0 125 250 500 Meters Track positions +/- 10m ´ Scale 1:7,000 8 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins A Chatham island Black Robin in Rangatira today 9 / 100 I Whaling continued until 1964. It closed for economic reasons, due to over-fishing by Japanese and Russian whaling fleets. I The environmental and ecological consequence on the Chatham islands was massive I the accompanying sheep and cattle farming and the feral rabbits and pigs released by sailors resulted in over-grazing and destroyed the indigenous flora I the introduced predators such as cats, rats and stoats destroyed the indigenous fauna (especially birds that evolved in the absence of land-based predators) Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Whaling, Sealing & Farming in islands of NZ I Seals in New Zealand had been hunted to the verge of extinction by 1830 and sealing was outlawed in 1926. 10 / 100 I The environmental and ecological consequence on the Chatham islands was massive I the accompanying sheep and cattle farming and the feral rabbits and pigs released by sailors resulted in over-grazing and destroyed the indigenous flora I the introduced predators such as cats, rats and stoats destroyed the indigenous fauna (especially birds that evolved in the absence of land-based predators) Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Whaling, Sealing & Farming in islands of NZ I Seals in New Zealand had been hunted to the verge of extinction by 1830 and sealing was outlawed in 1926. I Whaling continued until 1964. It closed for economic reasons, due to over-fishing by Japanese and Russian whaling fleets. 11 / 100 I the accompanying sheep and cattle farming and the feral rabbits and pigs released by sailors resulted in over-grazing and destroyed the indigenous flora I the introduced predators such as cats, rats and stoats destroyed the indigenous fauna (especially birds that evolved in the absence of land-based predators) Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Whaling, Sealing & Farming in islands of NZ I Seals in New Zealand had been hunted to the verge of extinction by 1830 and sealing was outlawed in 1926. I Whaling continued until 1964. It closed for economic reasons, due to over-fishing by Japanese and Russian whaling fleets. I The environmental and ecological consequence on the Chatham islands was massive 12 / 100 I the introduced predators such as cats, rats and stoats destroyed the indigenous fauna (especially birds that evolved in the absence of land-based predators) Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Whaling, Sealing & Farming in islands of NZ I Seals in New Zealand had been hunted to the verge of extinction by 1830 and sealing was outlawed in 1926. I Whaling continued until 1964. It closed for economic reasons, due to over-fishing by Japanese and Russian whaling fleets. I The environmental and ecological consequence on the Chatham islands was massive I the accompanying sheep and cattle farming and the feral rabbits and pigs released by sailors resulted in over-grazing and destroyed the indigenous flora 13 / 100 Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Whaling, Sealing & Farming in islands of NZ I Seals in New Zealand had been hunted to the verge of extinction by 1830 and sealing was outlawed in 1926. I Whaling continued until 1964. It closed for economic reasons, due to over-fishing by Japanese and Russian whaling fleets. I The environmental and ecological consequence on the Chatham islands was massive I the accompanying sheep and cattle farming and the feral rabbits and pigs released by sailors resulted in over-grazing and destroyed the indigenous flora I the introduced predators such as cats, rats and stoats destroyed the indigenous fauna (especially birds that evolved in the absence of land-based predators) 14 / 100 I By 1938 black robins were wiped off from all the Chatham islands except an estimated 20-35 pairs on Little Mangare (15ha) by Fleming, Turbott and Wotherspoon I Little Mangare is a rocky outcrop with a small native bush at the top that was nearly impossible for predatory mammals to reach I As per Sir Charles Flemming’s recommendation Rangatira island was purchased by the Corwn and made a nature reserve in 1954 I The more ecologically devastated Mangare island was also turned into a nature reserve with an ecological restoration effort of native flora Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Species Discovery and Nature Reserves I In 1871 William Travers announces the discovery of the new speciesPetroica traversi (Chatham island black robin) in Mangare island to Wellington Philosophical Society 15 / 100 I Little Mangare is a rocky outcrop with a small native bush at the top that was nearly impossible for predatory mammals to reach I As per Sir Charles Flemming’s recommendation Rangatira island was purchased by the Corwn and made a nature reserve in 1954 I The more ecologically devastated Mangare island was also turned into a nature reserve with an ecological restoration effort of native flora Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Species Discovery and Nature Reserves I In 1871 William Travers announces the discovery of the new speciesPetroica traversi (Chatham island black robin) in Mangare island to Wellington Philosophical Society I By 1938 black robins were wiped off from all the Chatham islands except an estimated 20-35 pairs on Little Mangare (15ha) by Fleming, Turbott and Wotherspoon 16 / 100 I As per Sir Charles Flemming’s recommendation Rangatira island was purchased by the Corwn and made a nature reserve in 1954 I The more ecologically devastated Mangare island was also turned into a nature reserve with an ecological restoration effort of native flora Population pedigree process of the Chatham island black robin Ecological History of Black Robins Species Discovery and Nature Reserves I In 1871 William Travers announces the discovery of the new