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Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Study casts magpies in new light
A bird now seen as an unwelcome Australian import may have much deeper roots in New Zealand than previously thought. Magpies, often regarded in Central Otago and elsewhere as aggressive invaders introduced from Australia in the 1860s, have long divided public opinion. But new research reveals their ancestors once lived in New Zealand — millions of years before European settlers arrived. Researchers from Canterbury Museum, the University of Canterbury, and Australian institutions, including Flinders and New South Wales universities, have spent more than 20 years studying fossils from the St Bathans area of Central Otago. Their work has now uncovered enough evidence to describe a new species of currawong — an ancient relative of the modern magpie. The newly identified species, named the St Bathans currawong, lived between 19 and 16 million years ago, during the Miocene era, in what was then a lush, forested landscape surrounding a large prehistoric lake. The bird, likely similar in size to today's Australian magpie but probably all black, appears to have gone extinct before the end of the Miocene period. Dr Paul Scofield, senior curator of natural history at Canterbury Museum and a co-author of the study, said the findings challenged the widespread belief magpies were foreign intruders with no historical place in New Zealand's environment. "We persecute the magpie as an Australian that has no place in the New Zealand ecosystem, but its close relatives lived here in the past," he said. "We've probably been without a member of the magpie's extended family for only five million years." Co-author Associate Prof Trevor Worthy of Flinders University said New Zealand's ecosystems had been constantly evolving for millions of years, waves of extinctions and new arrivals shaping biodiversity long before human settlement. "There's an idea that we should return New Zealand to a pre-European ecological state," he said. "But that ignores the fact that Aotearoa's ecosystems were already dramatically different by the time humans arrived." The fossil record shows species such as currawong and native pigeons disappeared as the country's floral diversity declined. Other groups of animals and plants have arrived during the past few thousand years, both naturally and through human influence. Dr Scofield said during the Miocene period, New Zealand forests would have looked more like Australian bushland, eucalypts, laurels and she-oaks ( Casuarina ) being common. A major climate cooling event around 13 million years ago led to the extinction of many warm-climate species, reshaping the ecosystem into the one seen today. Fossil evidence from St Bathans suggests a greater diversity of songbirds once filled the bush with birdsong. Together the findings suggest New Zealand's natural history is far more complex and dynamic than the idea of a static, untouched ecosystem. So instead of striving to recreate a specific past state, these scientists are saying we should embrace and protect the biodiversity we have. — APL
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Extinction may be no moa?
Most of us have lost someone dear. It's unhappily the way of things, that in the midst of life we are indeed in death. Who wouldn't give pots of money or anything they owned for even a short time more with a loved one who has died? Instead, we are left with the hurt and sorrow, the feeling we have lost part of ourselves. In the animal kingdom, whole orders and families of creatures have died out, many of them as a result of human behaviour. They have been killed by hunting and by introduced predators, and because we have destroyed their habitat directly by burning or through ongoing insidious changes to their food sources, including plant distribution, as a consequence of climate change. What if we could really bring these animals back somehow, rather than just in our minds? You might say we owe them that at least. Could we start with moa? That's the idea which has burst through into the media this week, courtesy of United States biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, Ngāi Tahu, Canterbury Museum and film-maker Sir Peter Jackson. Through the use of genetic engineering and DNA in preserved moa remains, they believe South Island giant moa hatchlings could be restored to life in less than eight years. New Zealand has a shocking roll call of species which have become extinct since the first Polynesians arrived some time in the late 13th century. Those settlers were accompanied by the Pacific rat, kiore, which exterminated some bird species, and then Europeans arrived some 500 years later with their deadly cargo of stoats, ferrets, weasels, Norway rats and ship rats. New Zealand ornithologist Dr Richard Holdaway says during about 750 years of human settlement the number of vertebrate species has nearly halved, including the losses of one type of bat, more than 50 birds, three frogs and three lizards, and a freshwater fish. Moa were hunted to extinction by about the early 1400s. Prominent Catlins archaeologist Les Lockerbie proved that those early settlers from Polynesia were responsible for wiping out moa by discovering moa bones next to moa-bone fish-hook points, necklace reels and pendants in coastal excavations. This new plan to "de-extinct" moa has excited a great deal of attention. The idea would be that the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre would oversee the project and own the moa, to be kept on an ecological reserve. Sir Peter is cock-a-hoop at the prospect of success. He says it follows his long-held dream that many scientific wonders might become something more tangible during his lifetime. Paul Scofield, the Canterbury Museum's senior curator of natural history, is also excited about working with Colossal Biosciences, which is also trying to resurrect the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth. Thousands of genes would be required to rebuild the bird's brain, feathers, eyesight and other characteristics. A related living species would then act as a genetic surrogate. However, a dose of reality has been injected into the scheme by University of Otago scientists, including paleogenetics laboratory director Assoc Prof Nic Rawlence. He points to Colossal's supposedly de-extincted dire wolf, which was actually a genetically engineered grey wolf. In the case of the moa, he believes they will simply be creating a GE emu or similar, which might look like a moa but may not function like one. There would also be serious ethical concerns. At least 500 individuals would be needed to avoid dangerous in-breeding — that is, if they are actually able to breed. As well, Prof Rawlence is questioning the level of iwi engagement. While carrying out genome-sequencing on the moa, scientists from the paleogenetics lab have found no appetite from individual rūnanga across the South Island to bring back moa. He says it might also be a better use of the company's technology to use genetic engineering to help strengthen and conserve animals now on the endangered list. We agree. There can be no doubting it would be absolutely incredible were moa to walk the earth again after more than 500 years. But energy, technology and money would be much better used in saving our endangered species right now, rather than attempting to reverse the arrow of time.
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Magpie roots found in St Bathans
Magpies may be regarded in Central Otago as annoying Australian imports or unwelcome newcomers from Canterbury but decades of research has revealed their ancestors lived in St Bathans 19 million years ago. Magpies were introduced from Australia in the 1860s and since then New Zealanders have developed a love-hate relationship with the sometimes aggressive bird. Researchers from Canterbury Museum and University of Canterbury along with those from Flinders and New South Wales Universities in Australia have spent more than two decades unearthing and analysing fossils discovered near St Bathans . The St Bathans fossil site, which has been studied since 2001, was once at the bottom of a large prehistoric lake. It offered the only significant insight into New Zealand's terrestrial wildlife from 16 to 19 million years ago. Researchers have now found enough fragments to describe a new species of currawong, which was an ancestor of the bird that menaces New Zealand today. The newly discovered bird, which the researchers have named the St Bathans Currawong, lived in New Zealand around 19 million to 16 million years ago. It probably went extinct near the end of the Miocene, an era that ran from 20 million years ago to 5 million years ago. The ancient bird would have been about the same size as the Australian magpie found in New Zealand today but was probably all black. Co-author and Canterbury Museum senior curator natural history Dr Paul Scofield said the research challenged New Zealand views on the much-maligned magpie. "We persecute the magpie as an Australian that has no place in the New Zealand ecosystem but its close relatives lived here in the past." "We've probably been without a member of the magpie's extended family for only 5 million years.' Co-author and Flinders University Associate Prof Trevor Worthy said New Zealand's ecosystem had changed dramatically over millions of years and harboured diverse species across different eras. "There's an idea that we should aim to return New Zealand to a pre-European ecological state. But at that point in time, New Zealand's ecosystems had been changing continuously for millions of years. Aotearoa had lost much of the floral diversity formerly present by the time humans arrived. There were few fruiting tree species left and the loss of currawongs and other pigeons reflects this. "Other groups of plants and animals arrived from 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago. Many more have arrived since humans occupied the land. The pre-European ecological state of New Zealand is not necessarily any better or worse than any other time in the past. Instead, the fossil record suggests there was no utopian state and that we should celebrate the diversity we currently have.' Dr Scofield said the work revealed New Zealand's bird population in the Miocene era had surprisingly strong similarities to that of Australia today. "During the Miocene, 20 to 5 million years ago, New Zealand was much different. Walking through a New Zealand forest from that era, you would have seen numerous eucalypts, laurels and Casuarina, much like you would in an Australian forest today.' "The major thing that shaped the New Zealand we see today was the extinction of many plants and animals that thrived in warm climates after a period of rapid cooling that began about 13 million years ago.' Separate research led by Dr Vanesa De Pietri, of University of Canterbury, found the early Miocene New Zealand bush was alive with more birdsong than today. Analysis of songbird fossils found at St Bathans indicates there were probably many more different species of songbirds living in New Zealand 20 million years ago than just before humans arrived. — APL
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fears bodies will wash away as ancient graveyard feels climate impact
Having withstood tsunamis for over 700 years, scientists are warning that an ancient graveyard could be reclaimed by the ocean within a generation. Approximately 75 per cent of heritage land at Wairau Bar on New Zealand's South Island could be lost, due to a deadly mix of rising sea levels and the threat of a one-in-100-year storm wave that could occur before 2130. Members of the local Māori community, the Rangitāne, are discussing whether to remove the bodies or allow them to be taken by the sea. The problem of changing weather patterns destroying cultural sites is causing concern around the world. Two examples include the Moai stone statues at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) being threatened by rising sea levels and increased storm activity, and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland facing degradation from increased rainfall. What's adding to the trauma of the situation at Wairau Bar is the remains of 60 Maori ancestors were only just repatriated to Wairau Bar 16 years ago. They had been taken without permission in the 1940s by the Dominion Museum, now the Canterbury Museum. Prior to their return, several were placed on display, echoing events that occurred at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery where the skeleton of Indigenous woman Truganini was placed in a glass cabinet. Artefacts taken at the same time remain in collections around the world, including the Russian Naval Museum and Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum. Related: 🙏 Australian museum's 'important' act towards New Zealand Corey Hebberd is a co-author of the paper and the general manager of one prominent "iwi" or tribe, the Rangitāne o Wairau. He still hopes these artefacts, known as taonga, could one day be returned home to an area where they are protected. 'The dream for us is that they come home to Wairau. They have a story to tell about the birthplace of our country and the Wairau Bar,' he told Yahoo News. But now, because of the changing climate, he's working on two fronts — the 'unfinished business' of bringing home the taonga, and ensuring those that remain in the ground aren't lost. 'We've got less time than we thought we had. I'm 30, and some of the modelling around inundation suggests it will happen in my lifetime,' he told Yahoo News. Wairau Bar, also known as Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, is a 19-hectare gravel bar that was home to at least 200 people after it was settled in the mid-1200s to early 1300s. Today it is covered in grass, and because of its isolation, the only sounds are those of birds, the ocean, and a nearby river. On a clear day, you can look across the water and see the capital, Wellington. The region has been subject to at least three major tsunamis, which likely forced out human settlers. But modelling indicates that climate change will increase threats to the site, primarily because one metre of sea level rise is expected between 2070 and 2130 if fossil fuels continue to be burned at current rates. 🪶 Concern as rare birds retreat to mountains where giant moa became extinct 🔎 Amazing vanishing world recreated on 12,300 hectare property in heart of outback 🚨 'Rule' Aussies must follow if they see one of world's rarest creatures Rangitāne o Wairau worked with Earth Sciences New Zealand to determine the impact of this problem coupled with extreme storm waves. They completed a first-order assessment of the site, and their research was published in the MAI Journal on Thursday. Its lead author, Shaun Williams from Earth Sciences New Zealand, explained that saltwater intrusion could already be compromising some of the artefacts at the site. Other immediate threats are coastal erosion and the slow onset of sea level rise, but an extreme one-in-100-year wave or a large tsunami could overwhelm most of Wairau Bar. But as the sea level rises over time, it will intensify the impact of any tsunami. 'If the same event were to happen today, compared to 50 or 100 years later, its impact would probably be more far-reaching,' he told Yahoo News. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Plan to bring back moa for the birds: paleontologist
A plan to bring back the New Zealand moa is a "pipe dream" that will likely never take flight, a prominent Dunedin paleontologist says. Earlier this week, United States-based company Colossal Biosciences announced it aimed to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa by 2035, and the plan already has support from Hollywood movie director Sir Peter Jackson, Ngāi Tahu and Canterbury Museum. Colossal claims to have already brought back a version of dire wolves, which became extinct 10,000 years ago, and has plans to do the same for the woolly mammoth and the dodo. However, University of Otago paleogenetics lab director and paleontologist Associate Prof Nic Rawlence is not convinced moa can be brought back. "They [Colossal] have come out with a good glossy show and a big splash, but I wouldn't believe any of the hype. There are serious concerns. "They announced a few months ago that they had de-extincted the dire wolf — but they didn't. They created a genetically engineered grey wolf. "So they won't be de-extincting the moa. They will be creating a genetically engineered emu or some other genetically engineered ratite. "It may look like a moa, but we will have no idea whether it functions like a moa or talks like a moa. "It's that quote — if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it must be a duck. "But in this case, it would only look like a moa. "That's as far as it would go. I would say it's still a pipe dream." Prof Rawlence said he also had "serious ethical concerns". The company said the point of de-extinction was for conservation, and the moa would not be released into the wild. "They're going to be in a game reserve for ecotourism opportunities. "But also, if you are going to bring back more than just a zoo animal, then you need to bring back at least 500 individuals for the de-extinct population to be genetically secure and not have effects of inbreeding like you get in the English Royal Family or the Habsburg dynasty. "Will they even be able to breed? We don't know. "And if they could, what are the unintended consequences of inserting moa genes into, say, an emu? "We don't know whether these individuals will be genetically healthy." He said the project would also incur "opportunity costs", where money would get pulled from the conservation of existing endangered animals to fund the moa de-extinction. Potentially, it would further endanger critically endangered species, he said. He also had major concerns about iwi engagement in the project. "So with Ngāi Tahu, they're all the individual rūnanga. "In all of the engagement our lab [the Otago paleogenetics laboratory] has done up and down the motu over the past 10 years or more, including on projects sequencing the genomes of moa, we have found there is no appetite for de-extinction. "We know the individual runanga do not like being told what to do by Ngāi Tahu and Christchurch. "At the top of the South Island, there are also seven iwi that aren't Ngāi Tahu that I also know are dead set against de-extinction." He said one of the major reasons de-extinction was not supported by many rūnanga was whakapapa, or genealogy, which was very important to Māori. "And messing with the whakapapa, messing with the genetic code of animals, is viewed with disgust. They don't want it to happen. "They also have concerns about the opportunity costs, the habitats not being there, who's going to pay to look after all of the de-extinct animals and also around who owns the DNA, who owns the DNA sequence data and concerns around samples going overseas for sequencing." Prof Rawlence said with something this big, there needed to be more than just one research centre calling the shots around supposed Māori approval of this. "What we have here is, for all intents and purposes, the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre saying we're going to bring back a species that used to occur in the South Island, when you have parts of South Island Māoridom against it from within the iwi and from outside of the iwi. "So we really need a South Island-wide consensus discussion for the South Island giant moa. "That's going to be difficult." He said ethically and engagement-wise, Colossal, the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and Canterbury Museum needed to "come clean" on how widely they had engaged. "Because on the surface, it looks like a captain's call on behalf of all of Ngāi Tahu." He said the technology Colossal had developed could be a "game changer" for conserving animals we had left — such as genetically engineering a kākāpō to be resistant to disease. "I think the money is better spent on conserving animals we have left."
