'Moa's Ark' or 'Goodbye Gondwana': is the origin of New Zealand's terrestrial invertebrate fauna ancient, recent or both?

Abstract

Abstract. Evaluating the hypothesis of New Zealand's total submersion during the Oligocene requires the strictest tests, including sound phylogenetic data and dating of phylogenies. Although New Zealand has been traditionally considered to host ancient biota that originated by vicariance after it separated from Australia~80 Mya, the ancient origins of its biota have been recently questioned, with some authors even suggesting that all current land organisms had to arrive to the islands after it re-emerged from the ocean 22 million years ago. Here we examine examples of short-range endemic soil-dwelling invertebrates and find compelling evidence that at least some of them are the result of old lineages that diversified in New Zealand before the hypothesised submersion event 22 million year ago. We conclude that New Zealand indeed has old lineages as well as recently diversified lineages and compare this situation with that of other more stable areas of the Neotropics.

New Zealand geckos (Diplodactylidae): Cryptic diversity in a post-Gondwanan lineage with trans-Tasman affinities

“…Following a long period during which the possible Gondwanan origins of much of the New Zealand biota was suggested (see reviews in McDowall, 2008;Wallis and Trewick, 2009;Giribet and Boyer, 2010;Tennyson, 2010), recent geological (Landis et al, 2008) and phylogenetic/phylogeographic evidence (reviewed by Wallis and Trewick (2009)) has demonstrated that the majority of the New Zealand biota has probably been derived post-Oligocene. The picture is complex, however, as the age estimates for the most recent divergences from extralimital taxa are often very broad and could be compatible with almost any hypothesis.…”

A living fossil tale of Pangaean biogeography

“…Their early diversification has recently been estimated using multiple phylogenomic datasets [12] and found to be associated with the appearance of the first forests in the Devonian ca 382 Ma [13]. Onychophorans are also important from a biogeographic point of view owing to their low vagility, high susceptibility to desiccation and their fastidious habitat requirements [11,14]. Along these lines, experimental work has shown that velvet worms are slow-moving animals that avoid daylight and weak wind currents-both being main causes of desiccation-and the animals died after 14-18 min floating in seawater [15].…”

Jurassic primates, immobile ducks and other oddities: a reply to Heads’ review of The Monkey’s Voyage

“…I recognised that fact in the book, mentioning Fleming, Mildenhall and Robert McDowall in that context, but I also de-emphasised their continuing influence through the period in question. Still, the works written at the time, given above, as well as perceptions of recent developments (Winkworth et al 2002;Didham 2005;McGlone 2005;Waters and Craw 2006;Goldberg et al 2008;Giribet and Boyer 2010;Trewick and Gibb 2010) indicate that, contrary to Heads' claim, historical biogeography within New Zealand has undergone a major shift away from vicariance and towards dispersal explanations for the origins of the biota. It has not been a case of 'dispersalism' simply maintaining dominance the whole time, as Heads would have us believe.…”