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Only a small fraction of the Earth's total biodiversity has been described. This is particularly true of parasitic fauna, due to the paucity of taxonomic expertise, funding, and interest in parasites. It is expected that co-extinctions will become the main cause of species loss with potentially half of the parasite species becoming extinct prior to their discovery. This article addresses this issue and highlights case studies from the Otago Museum (OMNZ) (Dunedin, New Zealand), providing examples of successful collaborations between government organisations, museums, and parasitologists in bridging knowledge gaps in parasite diversity. The case studies presented focus on the parasitic helminths from opportunistic necropsies of stranded marine mammals and deceased birds. Collections from these case studies have doubled the size of the parasite collection at the OM, making this institution the most important repository of parasitic helminths in the country. We encourage such collaborations between museums, governing bodies, indigenous communities, ecologists and parasitologists in enhancing our knowledge of parasite diversity. Furthermore, we urge scientists to deposit both host and parasite tissues from surveys, vouchers, along with their respective metadata so that samples can be adequately stored and curated, thus ensuring that parasite collections become a legacy for future generations of scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the absence of cuttlefish in Aotearoa New Zealand waters, cuttlebones and cuttlebone fragments have been reported and collected in the country since the early twentieth century. Not all could be reliably identified. As such, here we review all cuttlebone material collected from New Zealand shores available in natural history collections, as well as literature and online records. Species were identified, through morphological features and, for the first time, DNA barcoding, as: the Australian endemic Sepia apama Gray, 1849 (and possibly S. grahami A. Reid, 2001) and the widely distributed Indo-Pacific S. latimanus Quoy & Gaimard, 1832. In addition, the predation/scavenging marks (praedichnia) left on the cuttlebones by other organisms are assigned to four major types and attributed to albatrosses, sharks, and dolphins. The successful extraction of DNA from cuttlebones has potential future applications, including the examination of type specimens, since species were described based only on cuttlebones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use genomic information to tell us stories of evolutionary origins. But what does it mean when different genomes report wildly different accounts of lineage history? This genomic "discordance" can be a consequence of a fascinating suite of natural history and evolutionary phenomena, from the different inheritance mechanisms of nuclear versus cytoplasmic (mitochondrial and plastid) genomes to hybridization and introgression to horizontal transfer. Here, we explore how we can use these distinct genomic stories to provide new insights into the maintenance of sexual reproduction, one of the most important unanswered questions in biology. We focus on the strikingly distinct nuclear versus mitochondrial versions of the story surrounding the origin and maintenance of asexual lineages in Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a New Zealand freshwater snail. While key questions remain unresolved, these data inspire multiple testable hypotheses that can be powerfully applied across a broad range of taxa toward a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of mitonuclear discordance, the maintenance of sex, and the origin of new asexual lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While most anurans lay their eggs in or near water, there is a wide diversity of species that lay their eggs on the ground, under rocks, or in burrows. For these terrestrial-breeding species, identifying the habitat requirements of oviposition sites is particularly useful for conservation and management planning, given that oviposition in anurans is strongly related to the environmental characteristics in which they live. Leiopelma archeyi is an endemic New Zealand frog that reproduces on moist substrates. Males brood eggs and carry larvae within retreats until metamorphosis is complete. Two previous observations (in November 2014) reported frogs attending eggs inside dead, hollow trunks of tree-ferns (ponga, Cyathea spp. or Dicksonia spp.). We examined whether these observations were random or whether ponga was a breeding resource consistently used by L. archeyi. We used a non-disturbance protocol and focussed on searching inside ponga systematically during three consecutive breeding seasons. This monitoring allowed us to corroborate the reproductive mode previously known for this species and confirm ponga as a recurring oviposition site for L. archeyi. Around 10% of the oviposition sites monitored during the parental-care period were observed with more than one adult inside. Furthermore, we selected three individual ponga known to be used as oviposition sites to mark the centre of a plot from which we measured all ponga trunks. We fitted a mixed-model logistic regression to examine whether the use of ponga as an oviposition site by L. archeyi was predicted by length and/or diameter at the opening of the trunk. However, neither of these trunk characteristics were useful predictors for the use of ponga as an oviposition site. Our observations raise questions about the reproductive mode of this species such as oviposition site fidelity, and interactions within a community level between two ancestral lineages (Leiopelmatidae and tree ferns). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural history collections worldwide contain a plethora of mollusc shells. Recent studies have detailed the sequencing of DNA extracted from shells up to thousands of years old and from various taphonomic and preservational contexts. However, previous approaches have largely addressed methodological rather than evolutionary research questions. Here, we report the generation of DNA sequence data from mollusc shells using such techniques, applied to Haliotis virginea Gmelin, 1791, a New Zealand abalone, in which morphological variation has led to the recognition of several forms and subspecies. We successfully recovered near‐complete mitogenomes from 22 specimens including 12 dry‐preserved shells up to 60 years old. We used a combination of palaeogenetic techniques that have not previously been applied to shell, including DNA extraction optimized for ultra‐short fragments and hybridization‐capture of single‐stranded DNA libraries. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three major, well‐supported clades comprising samples from: (1) The Three Kings Islands; (2) the Auckland, Chatham and Antipodes Islands; and (3) mainland New Zealand and Campbell Island. This phylogeographic structure does not correspond to the currently recognized forms. Critically, our nonreliance on freshly collected or ethanol‐preserved samples enabled inclusion of topotypes of all recognized subspecies as well as additional difficult‐to‐sample populations. Broader application of these comparatively cost‐effective and reliable methods to modern, historical, archaeological and palaeontological shell samples has the potential to revolutionize invertebrate genetic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Littorinid snails are present in most coastal areas globally, playing a significant role in the ecology of intertidal communities. Laevilitorina is a marine gastropod genus distributed exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, with 21 species reported from South America, the sub-Antarctic islands, Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania. Here, an updated database of 21 species generated from a combination of sources is presented: 1) new field sampling data; 2) published records; 3) the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), to provide a comprehensive description of the known geographic distribution of the genus and detailed occurrences for each of the 21 species. The database includes 813 records (occurrences), 53 from field sampling, 174 from the literature, 128 from GBIF, and 458 from ALA. West Antarctica had the highest species richness (8 species), followed by sub-Antarctic islands of New Zealand (4 species) and the south-east shelf of Australia (4 species). The provinces of Magellan, New Zealand South Island, and sub-Antarctic Islands of the Indian Ocean include two species each. This study specifically highlights reports of L. pygmaea and L. venusta, species that have been almost unrecorded since their description. Recent advances in molecular studies of L. caliginosa showed that this species does not correspond to a widely distributed taxon, but to multiple divergent lineages distributed throughout the Southern Ocean. Ongoing molecular and taxonomic studies are necessary for a better understanding of the diversity and biogeography of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand restiad bogs have histories of natural fire, which is reflected in the presence of plant species with adaptations such as serotiny and fire‐stimulated flowering. The possibility of fire‐cued germination has not been investigated in restiad bogs, despite its widespread occurrence in other fire‐prone environments, globally. We performed a glasshouse experiment to assess the role of peat seed banks in post‐fire regeneration at Kopuatai Bog in northern New Zealand. Peat samples collected were either (a) heated until they reached 70 °C, (b) exposed to wood smoke for 30 min, (c) heated and smoked consecutively, or (d) left untreated. The emergence of vascular plants was then monitored for 105 days in a glasshouse. Mean seedling density was highest in the control treatment (7228 ± SE 1040 m−2); it was lowest in the heated samples, suggesting that the heat treatment may have been excessive. Smoke did not significantly increase emergence. Epacris pauciflora accounted for 76.7% of total seedlings, consistent with our hypothesis based on vegetation surveys that this species relies on synchronous post‐fire seed bank germination. E. pauciflora was most abundant in the control, suggesting that emergence is in response to some disturbance‐related cue other than heat or smoke. The restiad Sporadanthus ferrugineus was abundant in the control and smoke treatments. Its emergence following heating was reduced, but still considerable enough to cast doubt on its classification as a fire‐sensitive species. In contrast, the dominant peat‐forming restiad Empodisma robustum showed low levels of emergence. Our overall findings demonstrate that substantial quantities of viable seed are stored in the upper peat layers of a restiad bog and are capable of germinating in response to disturbance‐related environmental changes. These findings contribute to our understanding of restiad peatland plant community dynamics, particularly explaining the mechanism behind increased E. pauciflora dominance post‐fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the size of translocated populations of endemic New Zealand species is essential for assessing their management requirements; however generating estimates can be constrained by the accessibility of sites, particularly for cryptic or difficult to monitor species released on remote islands. In this study, we aimed to produce estimates of population size for three translocated populations of the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi), after a mean establishment period of 6.3 years. We also recorded natural history notes of the species. Using fixed-point distance sampling, we assessed the populations established on Te Kākahu-o-Tamatea / Chalky Island, Te Pākeka / Maud Island, and Oruawairua / Blumine Island. We confirmed the presence of orange-fronted parakeets on Te Kākahu-o-Tamatea / Chalky Island but could not produce density estimates due to a small number of detections. We did not detect orange-fronted parakeets on Te Pākeka / Maud Island. On Oruawairua / Blumine Island, based on 20 detections, we estimated a population of 193 ± 91 parakeets distributed through the mature forest of the 3.77 km2 island. Our findings indicate that Oruawairua / Blumine Island sustains a significant population of the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet. To assess the long-term trends of the species on offshore islands, further population assessments are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrioventricular valve (AVV) regurgitation is increasingly prevalent in patients with a Fontan circulation.Objectives: We sought to determine the impact of ventricular dominance and AVV operation on outcomes in patients with a Fontan circulation and ≥moderate AVV regurgitation.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, including propensity score matching analysis, of 1,703 patients who survived Fontan operation in Australia and New Zealand from 1987 to 2021.Results: Patients undergoing AVV operation were more likely to have right ventricular (RV) dominance or an atrioventricular septal defect. In the entire cohort, death or transplantation after Fontan operation was significantly higher in patients who underwent AVV operation before or at Fontan completion compared with those who did not (20 years: 18%; 95% CI: 8%-26% vs 13%; 95% CI: 10%-15%; P = 0.03). After propensity score matching, including for RV dominance, there was no significant difference in death or transplantation between the groups (20 years: 18%; 95% CI: 8%-26% vs 16%; 95% CI: 10%-22%; P = 0.41). Only patients with RV dominance who developed ≥moderate AVV regurgitation after Fontan operation were at increased risk of death or transplantation (HR: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.4-5.3; P < 0.01). In patients with left ventricular dominance, there was no significant difference in death or transplantation between patients with ≥moderate AVV regurgitation compared with those with Conclusions: RV dominance, but not AVV surgery itself, was associated with poor outcomes. Moderate or greater AVV regurgitation after Fontan operation is associated with a significantly increased risk of death or transplantation, only in patients with RV dominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of species into dietary guilds that consume similar food resources can provide a useful framework for understanding ecosystem function. Traditionally, species were assigned to guilds qualitatively rather than quantitatively, largely due to a lack of detailed data on the diets of many species. More recently, detailed dietary data are collected and analysed quantitatively to produce a classification, but the collection of such data is intensive and usually limits a study to a small number of species. Here, we show that quantitative classifications can be built from qualitative data sourced from natural history texts and expert knowledge for well‐known fauna. We collected available data on the presence or absence of nine broad food item categories in the diets of 158 species of fish observed on New Zealand's shallow rocky reefs. These data were analysed using multivariate statistical methods pioneered by K. R. Clarke and colleagues for use with site‐by‐species ecological survey data. In particular, we adapted a taxonomic dissimilarity measure to take into account a natural hierarchy of the food items, so that, for example, the diets of two species that consume different types of invertebrates were considered more similar to each other than those of, say, invertivores vs piscivores, or carnivores vs herbivores. Our analysis produced five distinct dietary guilds: Herbivore (9 species), Omnivore (11), Invertivore (80), Macro‐carnivore (52) and Piscivore (6). We suggest that invertivores, which made up around half of the species, are likely underrepresented in many studies due to the exclusion of smaller species. The approach of collecting broadly available qualitative data and applying modern multivariate quantitative methods to produce more inclusive dietary classifications may be usefully applied to other well‐known taxonomic groups for which detailed data are scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary complications in CTD are common and can involve the interstitium, airways, pleura and pulmonary vasculature. ILD can occur in all CTD (CTD‐ILD), and may vary from limited, non‐progressive lung involvement, to fulminant, life‐threatening disease. Given the potential for major adverse outcomes in CTD‐ILD, accurate diagnosis, assessment and careful consideration of therapeutic intervention are a priority. Limited data are available to guide management decisions in CTD‐ILD. Autoimmune‐mediated pulmonary inflammation is considered a key pathobiological pathway in these disorders, and immunosuppressive therapy is generally regarded the cornerstone of treatment for severe and/or progressive CTD‐ILD. However, the natural history of CTD‐ILD in individual patients can be difficult to predict, and deciding who to treat, when and with what agent can be challenging. Establishing realistic therapeutic goals from both the patient and clinician perspective requires considerable expertise. The document aims to provide a framework for clinicians to aid in the assessment and management of ILD in the major CTD. A suggested approach to diagnosis and monitoring of CTD‐ILD and, where available, evidence‐based, disease‐specific approaches to treatment have been provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates Eugene von Guérard’s claim that his Lake Wakatipu painting (1877–79) was ‘as true to nature as far as possible’ by examining the extent to which its features are faithful to the view at the site; to the geography, geomorphology, geology, ecology and botany of the location; and to the conditions experienced on the day of his visit. Critical to this fidelity analysis is determining the location from which the artist sketched the views on which the painting is based. His moving vantage point resulted in some features being portrayed from different perspectives. This raises some geographical fidelity issues, although the painting was not intended to be a composite work per se. Despite heightening peaks and steepening slopes for compositional purposes, the work exhibits a high degree of fidelity to many aspects of the landscape and to the natural history of the Wakatipu Basin, particularly when compared with historical photographs in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Von Guérard’s limited familiarity with the geology and flora of the region did, however, result in a few inaccuracies. The article includes a discussion of the historical fidelity of the painting relating to pounamu (greenstone) sourced in the surrounding mountains, and concludes with the affirmation the artist received from the scientist Julius von Haast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longitudinal research is needed to better understand the natural history of oral conditions and long-term health and social outcomes. Oral health data has been collected periodically in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study for over 40 years. To date, 70+ peer-review articles on the Study's oral health-related findings have been published, providing insight into the natural history of oral conditions, risk factors, impacts on quality of life, and disparities in oral health. Some of these report new findings, while others build upon the existing body of evidence. This paper provides an overview of these findings and reflects on their public health implications and policy utility in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate key ecological differences and track population dynamics in two sympatric species of sheet-web spider, Cambridgea plagiata and Cambridgea foliata throughout a single breeding season. We undertook a series of weekly population surveys in plots that included both C. plagiata and C. foliata, recording features of their web ecology and of each species' population dynamics over a single breeding season. We found significant differences in the distribution, web size and substrate, and predominant diet of C. plagiata and C. foliata with the former feeding predominantly on amphipods, building smaller webs and associating with rock walls, resulting in areas of densely aggregated webs. By contrast, moths were the predominant prey type found in C. foliata webs which were larger and more common in open vegetation, resulting in a more uniform distribution of webs within our plots. Additionally, both species exhibit pre-copulatory guarding consistent with the expectations of a first-male sperm priority pattern, suggesting male competition over virgin females. This is despite a consistent female-biased sex ratio. This research not only provides the first ecological data for C. plagiata and C. foliata but provides important context for sexually selected behaviours performed by males in these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short communication focuses on theChallengerexpedition’s time in New Zealand as an example of the ways in which colonial participants contributed to this nineteenth-century scientific circumnavigation and its scientific research using their location and local knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbaria and natural history collections (NHC) are critical to the practice of taxonomy and have potential to serve as sources of data for biodiversity and conservation. They are the repositories of vital reference specimens, enabling species to be studied and their distribution in space and time to be documented and analysed, as well as enabling the development of hypotheses about species relationships. The herbarium of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (WELT) contains scientifically and historically significant marine macroalgal collections, including type specimens, primarily of New Zealand species, as well as valuable exsiccatae from New Zealand and Australia. The herbarium was initiated in 1865 with the establishment of the Colonial Museum and is the only herbarium in New Zealand where there has been consistent expert taxonomic attention to the macroalgae over the past 50 years. We examined 19,422 records of marine macroalgae from around New Zealand collected over the past 164 years housed in WELT, assessing the records in terms of their spatial and temporal coverage as well as their uniqueness and abundance. The data provided an opportunity to review the state of knowledge of the New Zealand macroalgal flora reflected in the collections at WELT, to examine how knowledge of the macroalgal flora has been built over time in terms of the number of collections and the number of species recognised, and identify where there are gaps in the current collections as far as numbers of specimens per taxon, as well as with respect to geographical and seasonal coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The affinities of Piopio Turnagra capensis, an extinct New Zealand passerine, remain poorly known. It has been included into or associated with several bird families (Calleatidae, Cracticidae, Pachycephalidae, Ptilonorhynchidae, Turdidae), often on tenuous grounds. We reassessed Turnagra phylogenetic relationships using nuclear and mitochondrial sequences and a set of morphological and behavioural traits. Molecular and phenotypic characters strongly suggest a novel hypothesis, congruently placing Turnagra in Oriolidae, a highly dispersive corvoid family distributed from the Austro-Papuan landmass to Eurasia and Africa, but missing from the Pacific islands. We show also that the published molecular support to link Turnagra with Ptilonorhynchidae was biased by the use of incorrect genetic data and weak analyses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article considers the nexus between environment, health and colonial development through the migration, and visits, of Scottish-educated doctors to New Zealand. In arguing for the importance of local social, environmental and economic factors to explain their changing prominence within, in particular, the field of natural history, this article enriches and in some cases modifies the work of Richard Grove and John M. MacKenzie. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The mid-twentieth century is commonly identified as a transformative period for the display of the natural world, characterised by a shift from the didactic displays of natural history to interactive displays of science. But is this account sufficient? This question is explored through an examination of display practices of nature found within New Zealand's Dominion Museum. With a focus on the 1930s -1950s this analysis is developed with consideration of contemporaneous displays produced in Australia's National Museum of Victoria and the American Museum of Natural History. This period is revealed as one of great intensity, fuelled by the convergence of nationalism, nature study, education and new display techniques of the diorama and habitat series. Accordingly, displays of nature shift to naturalise science and the citizen within the ecological specifics of the local. While the Australian museum mirrors this experience, the American museum presents a spectacular nature, a difference which can be partially explained by different temporalities of nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to provide a perspective on environmental education in Aotearoa New Zealand. To contextualise this perspective, it illustrates how environmental, socio-cultural and political imperatives have shaped the development of environmental education in this land. These imperatives illuminate the natural history of the country, the connectedness within the worldviews of the indigenous Maori people, the pioneering views of some enlightened European settlers, and tensions between development and conservation. We connect this context with an overview of research in Aotearoa New Zealand into one aspect of environmental education -- student learning in schools. Examples from recent research in this area are provided to show how these approaches are contributing to the Aotearoa New Zealand-ness of environmental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A retrospective cohort study was performed in 1063 women diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) (previously termed carcinoma in situ– CIS) in the National Women’s Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. The study describes the clinical management and outcomes for women with CIN3 diagnosed in the decade of 1965–1974, when treatment with curative intent was withheld in an unethical clinical study of the natural history of CIS. A comparison is made with women who were diagnosed earlier (1955–1964) and later (1975–1976). Aims: The aim of the study is to record the medical encounters, frequency and management of cytological abnormalities and the occurrence of invasive cancers. The medical records, cytology and histopathology were reviewed and data linked with cancer and death registers. Results: Women diagnosed with CIN3 in 1965–1974 ( n = 422), compared with those diagnosed earlier ( n = 385) or later ( n = 256): (i) were less likely to have initial treatment with curative intent (51% vs 95 and 85%, respectively); (ii) had more follow-up biopsies ( P < 0.0005); (iii) were more likely to have positive cytology during follow-up ( P < 0.005) and positive smears that were not followed within six months by a treatment with curative intent ( P < 0.005); and (iv) experienced a higher risk of cancer of the cervix or vaginal vault (RR = 3.3 compared with the first period, 95% CI: 1.7–5.3). Among women diagnosed in 1965–1974, those initially managed by punch or wedge biopsy alone had a cancer risk ten times (95% CI: 3.9–25.7) higher than women initially treated with curative intent. Conclusions: During the ‘clinical study’ (1965–1974), women underwent numerous interventions that were aimed to observe rather than treat their condition, and their risk of cancer was substantially increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Letters between Thomas Frederic Cheeseman of Auckland Museum (New Zealand) and Enrico Hillyer Giglioli of the Florence Natural History Museum (Italy) spanning 27 years (1877–1904), document repeated exchanges of natural history and ethnographic objects (consignments received at Florence in 1879, 1885, 1887, 1890, about 1895 and 1899, and at Auckland in 1882, 1888, 1891, 1896 and 1904). Extracts from the correspondence are used to give a chronological account of the transactions as a detailed case-study of a nineteenth century museum exchange between institutions half a world apart. Emphasis is given to land vertebrates, of which some 150 New Zealand birds were sent to Florence, and more than 600 Italian and foreign birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians were sent to Auckland. Giglioli especially sought Maori and Pacific ethnographic items and persistently requested these. He could offer royal acknowledgement of Cheeseman's efforts, and the latter received a Galileian silver medal of merit from the Florence Faculty of Sciences in 1887. The exchanges show what could be achieved over time by relatively few letters, despite the slow postal service, the need for agents, and the vagaries of freighting by sailing ship and steamer that included port strikes, unscheduled transhipment and the loss of ethnographic items by pillage en route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Phymatophaea Pascoe is revised here for the first time. It consists of 22 species, 21 from New Zealand and one from New Caledonia. Ten species are described as new: P. aquila, P. auripila, P. caledonia, P. deirolinea, P. enodis, P. earlyi, P. insula, P. maorias, P. tracheloglaba, and P. watti. Of the 25 nominal species listed in Corporaal's world catalogue 12 are considered valid species: P. atrata Broun, P. breviclava Broun, P. guttigera (Waterhouse), P. fuscitarsis Broun, P. hudsoni Broun, P. longula Sharp, P. lugubris Broun, P. oconnori Broun, P. opacula Broun, P. opilioides (Pascoe), P. pustulifera (Westwood), and P. testacea Broun. Lectotypes are designated for all valid previously published species except: P. breviclava Broun, P. fuscitarsis Broun, and P. opacula Broun, whose primary types are based on holotypes. Twelve new synonymies are proposed, which are as follows: the junior synonym of P. atrata Broun is P. griseipennis Broun; of P. guttigera are P. brevicollis Broun, P. dorsalis Broun, P. formosa Broun, P. ignea Broun, P. nigricornis Broun, P. picta Broun, and P. viridans Broun; of P. hudsoni Broun is P. fulvipalpis Brown; of P. opacula Broun is P. sculptipennis Broun; of P. opilioides (Pascoe) is P. apicalis Broun; and of P. pustulifera (Westwood) is P. abnormis Broun. Phymatophaea species are classified into seven species groups (see Table 1) which are considerably different morphologically. The North Island is apparently more speciose than the South Island although it is acknowledged that this may reflect collecting bias. Intraspecific variation in colour is prominent in the genus, particularly in the guttigera group. Phymatophaea are thought to be predators of lignicolous insects with several species apparently members of mimetic complexes. Five synapotypies distinguish Phymatophaea: antennal club sex dimorphic, 9th antennomere subtrapezoidal, profemora robust, one pair of mesodermal male accessory glands, and tegminal plates slender. The substantial morphologic diversity among the species groups is interpreted as a manifestation of extensive evolution, antiquity of the groups, considerable extinctions, and a paleohistory that may date back to Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine predictors of dental anxiety trajectories in a longitudinal study of New Zealanders. Methods:  Prospective study of a complete birth cohort born in 1972/73 in Dunedin, New Zealand, with dental anxiety scale (DAS) scores and dental utilization determined at ages 15, 18, 26 and 32 years. Personality traits were assessed at a superfactor and (more fine-grained) subscale level via the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire at age 18 years. Group-based trajectory analysis was used to identify dental anxiety trajectories. Results:  DAS scores from at least three assessments were available for 828 participants. Six dental anxiety trajectories were observed: stable nonanxious low (39.6%); stable nonanxious medium (37.9%); recovery (1.6%); adult-onset anxious (7.7%); stable anxious (7.2%) and adolescent-onset anxious (5.9%). Multivariate analysis showed that males and those with higher DMFS at age 15 years were more likely to be in the stable nonanxious low trajectory group. Membership of the stable nonanxious medium group was predicted by the dental caries experience at age 15 years. Participants who had lost one or more teeth between ages 26 and 32 years had almost twice the relative risk for membership of the adult-onset anxious group. Personality traits predicted group membership. Specifically, high scorers (via median split) on the ‘stress reaction’ subscale had over twice the risk of being in the stable anxious group; low scorers on the traditionalism subscale were more likely to be members of the recovery trajectory group; and high scorers on the ‘social closeness’ subscale had half the risk of being in the stable anxious group. Dental caries experience at age 5 years was also a predictor for the stable anxious group. Membership of the late-adolescent-onset anxious group was predicted by higher dental caries experience by age 15 years, but none of the other predictors was significant. Conclusion:  Six discrete trajectories of dental anxiety have been observed. Some trajectories (totalling more than 90% of the cohort) had clear associations with external influences, but others were more strongly associated with characteristics such as personality traits. A mix of both influences was observed with only the stable anxious dental anxiety trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical modelling of Wairakei geothermal field is reviewed, both lumped-parameter and distributed-parameter models. In both cases it is found that reliable predictions require five to ten years of history for calibration. With such calibration distributed-parameter models are now used for field management. A prudent model of Wairakei, constructed without such historical data, would underestimate field capacity and provide only general projections of the type of changes in surface activity and subsidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current geothermal and volcanic activity in the North Island of New Zealand is explained as a consequence of Pacific and Australian plate interactions over the last 20 million years. The primary hypothesis is that the Kermadec subduction zone has for the last 20 million years or more been retreating in a south-easterly direction at about five centimetres per year. It is surmised that this motion and interaction with another subduction zone almost at right angles to it under the North Island resulted in plate tearing due to the incompatibility of the plate geometry where these subduction zones interacted. The nature and consequences of this plate tearing are partially revealed in published maps of the plate currently under the North Island. If the subducted parts of this plate, as shown in Eiby's maps, [G. A. Eiby, "The New Zealand sub-crustal rift", New Zeal. J. Geol. Geophy. 7 (1964) 109-133] are straightened, then the plate edge lies on a curve giving a rough picture of their position before being torn and subducted by the Kermadec trench motion. This map of the tear suggests the shape of the edge of a missing plate segment torn from the plate, and implies a rotation of the upper North Island, clockwise approximately 20 degrees, about a point just south of the Thames estuary. A consequence of this plate tearing is that the solid retreating crustal wave generating magma pressure beneath the crest of the solid wave has the potential to inject significant basaltic magma into the crust through the tears. These intrusive magma fluxes have the ability to generate geothermal fields and rhyolitic lavas from crustal melts. This could explain the geothermal activity along the Coromandel peninsula five to seven million years ago, the ignimbrite outcrops about Lake Taupo and the current geothermal and volcanic activity stretching from Taupo to Rotorua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Previous research suggests that blood pressure falls acutely after ischemic stroke. We aimed to further characterize this fall with a statistical technique that allows the application of regression techniques to serial blood pressure outcome data. Methods: In a prospectively recruited ischemic stroke cohort, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was recorded every 4 h until 48 h after stroke. Potential determinants of blood pressure, including stroke severity and acute infection, were also recorded. Mixed effects models were used to model serial blood pressure measurements over time, adjusted for significant determinants. Results: In 156 patients, SBP and DBP fell by 14.9 mm Hg (95% CI 6.2–22.6 mm Hg) and 6.2 mm Hg (95% CI 1.4–10.6 mm Hg), respectively, over the first 48 h after stroke. SBP was higher in patients with premorbid hypertension, a previous history of stroke or TIA, current alcohol use, increasing age, stroke of mild to moderate severity (NIHSS 3–13) and in patients treated with antihypertensives. SBP was lower in smokers. There was a progressive rise in SBP in patients with acute infection. No factors other than time were associated with DBP. Conclusions: The use of mixed effects models has identified a linear SBP and DBP fall over the first 48 h after stroke. The timing and magnitude of this fall should be accounted for in the design of future prognostic and intervention studies. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 14 major bird collections in Australia (10) and New Zealand (4) together hold half a million specimens, including 275 000 from Australia and 115 000 from New Zealand. Six large collections in Australia, and two in New Zealand, each hold at least 30 000 birds. The largest single collection (Australian Museum, Sydney) has 78 000 birds. Overall, study-skins are the most common form of preparation (47%), followed by eggs (20%). However, for New Zealand collections alone, fossil bones are the biggest single category (56%) reflecting that country's remarkable Holocene fossil record of birds. Taxonomically, the best-represented group in the Australasian collections is the order Passeriformes, followed by Anseriformes, Procellariiformes, Psittaciformes, Charadriiformes, Columbiformes, Falconiformes, and ratites (Ratitae). Most birds in Australasian collections (81%) are from Australia or New Zealand, followed by 27 000 specimens (6%) from the south-west Pacific (islands of Polynesia and Melanesia, including New Guinea). The Australasian collections are managed by a total staffing complement of about 25 FTE (full-time equivalents), most of whom care for other taxonomic groups besides birds. Nearly all specimen records are now captured electronically, but seven different software systems are used (KE "EMu" and Vernon Systems "Collection" most commonly). The 14 Australasian bird collections together form a nationally and internationally important resource. These collections document the biodiversity of the birds of the Australasian biogeographic region, and allow researchers to study many aspects of avian biology, including speciation, biogeography, moult and plumages, systematics and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mealybug genus Paraputo is discussed from the Pacific region and three new species, P. aracearum sp. nov., P. chimbuensis sp. nov., and P. guadalcanalae sp. nov., are described and illustrated. They are discussed with two species, P. kukumi Williams and P. leveri (Green), already known from the area. Most of the species are found on economic plants and one of the mealybugs, P. leveri , has been recorded as possibly invasive. A key to adult females is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of this article describes some of the teaching practices associated with natural history in New Zealand, Fiji, England, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. During a trip to New Zealand, the author learned that a large number of the average classroom teachers were better qualified than their American counterparts to carry on successful outdoor experiences. In Fiji, he had met Colin Marshall, a forester who had built a forestry school together with a group of high school students. He asserted that some of the laboratories in Sweden were equipped far better than any of their counterparts in America. In Norway, there was less evidence of rich equipment for the teaching of science. As a result of his association with several foreign educators, the author described the approaches to the teaching of conservation.

The article features the Dominion of New Zealand, as characterized by American educators traveling there. They describe how the country is similar and dissimilar to Australia, its geographic features, flora and fauna, the racial stock of its people, government and education. It is evident that the country believes in free education. The outstanding weakness of the schools is lack of funds.

The article presents information related to various developments in the field of natural history in the United States. The 2007 annual meetings of the American Society of Naturalists will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand on June 16-20, 2007. Applications are invited from investigators for the Young Investigators' Prizes which recognize outstanding and promising work by investigators who received their doctorates in the three years preceding the application deadline or who are in their final year of graduate school.

The article offers information on meetings related to ornithology from October 10, 2011 to August 18, 2012, including 2011 International Conference on Indian Ornithology to be held at Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Coimbatore, India on November 19-23, 2011, 25th International Congress for Conservation Biology in Auckland, New Zealand on December 5-9, 2011, and Raptor Research Foundation International Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia on August 14-18, 2012.

While assessing what physiological adaptations differ among nocturnal and diurnal lizards, I found that a priori hypotheses of ecology (specifically the activity time of many New Zealand lizards based on their genera) were not always supported by their physiology. I measured the rate of oxygen consumption (V̇O2) as an index of metabolic rate of eight temperate lizard species (four nocturnal, three diurnal, and one crepuscular/diurnal; n = 7-14). All individuals were measured over 24 h at 13°C and in constant darkness to test whether daily patterns of metabolic rate differ with reported activity period. Three daily patterns were evident: 24-h cycle, 12-h cycle, or no daily cycle. I found, to my surprise, that the a priori hypotheses of ecology were not always supported by physiology. Three species had daily V̇O2 patterns offset from their activity phase, including the diurnal skinks Oligosoma nigriplantare polychroma and O. zelandicum, and the nocturnal gecko Hoplodactylus stephensi. The ubiquitous nocturnal gecko H. maculatus had no daily pattern of V̇O2. Some of the disparity between ecology and physiology of these species can be explained using the limited natural history data that is available, illustrating the fact that (1) interdisciplinary research requires support from natural history data; and (2) natural history data are rare. Natural history appears to be losing the publication battle as research funding becomes focused on "blue-sky" ideas and high impact publication output. The importance of publishing natural history data cannot be overstated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]