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116 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEOBIOLOGY
species of Mohoua are distributed one on
North Island and two on South Island. North
Island has two endemic monotypic genera,
Notiomystis and Heterolocha. Procellariids
are not listed here, although at least 15 species
nested on one island or the other.
A total of 94 species lived in inland habitats in mainland areas
of New Zealand prior to human colonization: 82 on North
Island and 84 on South Island. The birds recorded in fossil faunas
from South Island are listed in Table 2.
Taxon
Megalapteryx didinus
Anomalopteryx didiformis
Pachyornis elephantopus
Pachyornis australis
Euryapteryx geranoides
Emeus crassus
Dinornis struthoides
Dinornis novaezealandiae
Dinornis giganteus
Apteryx australis/haastii
Apteryx owenii
Poliocephalus rufopectus
Procellaria parkinsoni
Procellaria westlandica
Pterodroma inexpectata
Pterodroma cookii
Puffinus griseus
Puffinus spelaeus (s) or
gavia/huttoni (g/h)
Pelecanoides urinatrix
Oceanites nereis
Fregetta tropica ssp.
Pelagodroma marina
Pachyptila turtur
Anas chlorotis
Anas gracilis
Anas superciliosa
Aythya novaeseelandiae
Euryanas finschi
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
Malacorhynchus scarletti
Biziura delautouri
Tadorna variegata
Cnemiornis calcitrans
Cygnus sumnerensis
CHANGES CAUSED BY THE LOWERED TREELINE
Some faunal changes are directly explicable as the result of
downslope movement of faunal groups that in the Holocene are
associated with the subalpine zone. The recovery of faunas
from the numerous fossil sites in the extensive areas of karst in
subalpine areas of northwest Nelson has provided considerable
data (Worthy, 1989, unpublished data). Fossil avifaunas from
caves now above the treeline (>1200 m) are assumed to have
accumulated in the last few thousand years of the Holocene because
the karst was glaciated in the last glacial period. More-
TABLE 2.—The fossil avifauna of South Island, New Zealand. West coast data is from Worthy and Holdaway
(1993), with glacial faunas derived particularly from Babylon Cave, Hermits Cave, and Honeycomb Hill
(Worthy, 1993). Takaka faunas are from Worthy and Holdaway (1994a), with sites in Irvines Tomo, the cave in
the Golden Bay Cement Co. silica quarry, Hawkes Cave, Kairuru Cave, and Hobsons Tomo, the most important
site for the Otiran fauna. Data for North Canterbury is mainly from the Waikari study area (Worthy and
Holdaway, 1996), but the last glacial faunas are derived from Merino Cave, Mt. Cookson (Worthy and Holdaway,
1995), fluvial sites at Omihi Stream, Waipara (Worthy and Holdaway, 1996), and from loess sites (Worthy,
1993b). Data for South Canterbury and for Otago is from Worthy (1997, unpublished data, respectively).
(Ab=species at least locally abundant, coastal=species present only in coastal sites, rare=species rare,
valley=species present only in Takaka Valley, Y = species present in fossil record.)
West
Coast
(Glacial)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y 1
Y (Ab) 2
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(s)(Ab)
Y (Ab) 3
?
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
?
Y
Y (Ab) 4
West Coast
(Holocene)
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(s) (Ab)
Y
?
Y
Y
Y
Takaka
(Glacial)
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y (valley)
Y
Y(s)
Y(Ab)
Y (valley)
Y (valley)
Takaka
(Holocene)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y(s)
Y(Ab)
Y
North
Canterbury
(Glacial)
Y
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y
North
Canterbury
(Holocene)
Y(rare)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y (coastal)
Y(g/h)
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
South
Canterbury
(Glacial)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
South
Canterbury
(Holocene)
Y (rare)
Y (rare)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y (rare)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(g/h)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
North Otago
(Holocene)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(g/h)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Central Otago
(Holocene)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y(Ab)
Y
Y (rare)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y(Ab)
Y
Y
Y(Ab)