https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/massey/oai:mro.massey.ac.nz:10179/958
type: CreativeWork
name: Patterns and processes in animal evolution : molecular phylogenetics of Southern Hemisphere fauna : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics
description: Three kinds of processes are known to modify the geographical spatial arrangement of organisms: dispersal, extinction and vicariance. The Southern Hemisphere has an intriguing and complicated geological history that provides an ideal backdrop to study these processes. This thesis focuses on three historical events that illustrate these processes: the proposed marine inundation of New Zealand in the Oligocene, the asteroid impact at the K – Pg boundary, and the continental breakup of Gondwana. It investigates what impact these events had on species diversification by studying the phylogenetic relationships of two groups of taxa – the family Anostostomatidae (insects), and Neoaves (birds). Anostostomatidae were studied in relation to the Oligocene drowning and the break up of Gondwana as they have a wide southern distribution, found on all “Gondwanan” fragments with the exception of Antarctica, and are thought represent an ancient lineage that predates the Gondwanan breakup. Birds, in particular Neoaves, were studied in relation to the asteroid impact at the K – Pg boundary. Although birds are mobile and many circumnavigate the globe between seasons, they are suggested to have originated in the Southern Hemisphere in Gondwanan times, and subsequently undergone range expansion and diversification around the world. In order to address the relationship (if any) between modern biotic diversity and historical geological events, phylogenetic relationships were determined and where possible, molecular clock analysis carried out. Timing information provided by molecular clock analysis is important as it enables distinction between opposing hypotheses such as vicariance and dispersal. In Chapter Two, the phylogenetic relationships within the family Anostostomatidae are investigated. One of the most controversial times in New Zealand’s geological history is during the Oligocene. Some suggest that the lack of fossils and evidence for recent dispersal of numerous taxa support the…
abstract: Three kinds of processes are known to modify the geographical spatial arrangement of organisms: dispersal, extinction and vicariance. The Southern Hemisphere has an intriguing and complicated geological history that provides an ideal backdrop to study these processes. This thesis focuses on three historical events that illustrate these processes: the proposed marine inundation of New Zealand in the Oligocene, the asteroid impact at the K – Pg boundary, and the continental breakup of Gondwana. It investigates what impact these events had on species diversification by studying the phylogenetic relationships of two groups of taxa – the family Anostostomatidae (insects), and Neoaves (birds). Anostostomatidae were studied in relation to the Oligocene drowning and the break up of Gondwana as they have a wide southern distribution, found on all “Gondwanan” fragments with the exception of Antarctica, and are thought represent an ancient lineage that predates the Gondwanan breakup. Birds, in particular Neoaves, were studied in relation to the asteroid impact at the K – Pg boundary. Although birds are mobile and many circumnavigate the globe between seasons, they are suggested to have originated in the Southern Hemisphere in Gondwanan times, and subsequently undergone range expansion and diversification around the world. In order to address the relationship (if any) between modern biotic diversity and historical geological events, phylogenetic relationships were determined and where possible, molecular clock analysis carried out. Timing information provided by molecular clock analysis is important as it enables distinction between opposing hypotheses such as vicariance and dispersal. In Chapter Two, the phylogenetic relationships within the family Anostostomatidae are investigated. One of the most controversial times in New Zealand’s geological history is during the Oligocene. Some suggest that the lack of fossils and evidence for recent dispersal of numerous taxa support the…
author: Pratt, Renae
keywords: Anostostomatidae, Neoaves, Geological events, Phylogenetic relationships, Oligocene, Miocene, Gondwana, Biogeography
date published: 2008
date modified: 2026-07-27T20:17:00Z
provider: Massey University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Massey University