Biography,Authenticity and Personalised Post-Mortem Practices in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Current thanatology discourse details a new ethos of openness transforming death-related practices, accentuating a shift to personalised rituals, authenticity and expressive grief. Drawing on ethnographic interviews with mourners and funeral professionals, this article explores these putative post-mortem changes and critically assesses the claims and counterclaims concerning funerary arrangements in New Zealand. While underscoring the complexity of mortuary practices, this study explicates the varying notions of authenticity that pervade the funeral discourse. Although funeral professionals emphasised the significance of grief and bereavement processes characterised by a need for honesty and transparency, bereaved participants proffered an alternative interpretation of authenticity that privileged biographical coherence and the need to confer transcendence to the dead. These findings not only emphasise the inadequacies of the aforementioned representations of post-mortem change, but elucidate the context-specific conceptualisations of authenticity and the continuing relationships between the living and the dead in Aotearoa/New Zealand.     

The Development of an Indigenous Knowledge Program in a New Zealand Maori-Language Immersion School

In 1985, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga initiated a Maori-language immersion program for children ages 5 through 18. In recent years, a program based on Waikato-Tainui tribal epistemology has been incorporated into the language immersion program. This article describes the community context and the language immersion and tribal knowledge programs. We consider the relationship of these programs to individual and tribal self-determination and to theories of minority achievement, particularly the work of John Ogbu.     

新西兰银杏种质资源研究

新西兰位于南半球太平洋南部,介于南极洲和赤道之间,是目前为止南半球唯一一个将银杏作为产业来发展的国家。银杏在新西兰已有100多年的栽培历史,其南岛和北岛的各个城市和地区均栽植有银杏,但主要用作庭院、公园、街道绿化树种零星种植,直到21世纪初才开始被作为一种产业来发展。通过对新西兰的Auckland,Wellington,Hamilton,Hastings等主要城市的银杏种质资源进行广泛调查和定点观测,结果只发现有梅核类、佛指类、马铃类、园子类等四种类型。种核也较小,最大的为2.15g,最小的仅1.44g。本文主要报道了银杏在新西兰的栽培历史、生物学特性、种质资源及发展现状等,以期为中新两国开展在银杏方面的合作提供相关信息。     

Conceiving Reproduction: New Reproductive Technologies and the Redefinition of the Kinship Narrative in New Zealand Society

This paper focuses on technologies for assisting conception and considers how normative notions of conception and family formation have informed the rejection, incorporation and adaptation of technologies and their regulation in New Zealand. Drawing on a textual analysis of primary written materials and secondary sources generated between 1965 and 2004, the paper reveals how these technologies help various groups in New Zealand society make explicit their understandings of relatedness, identity and social and cultural belonging. Whilst biological/genetic connection and social connections inform understandings of kinship, reproduction, parenthood and social structure for many New Zealanders, the boundaries between the biological and social are often blurred and precedence of one over the other is very much context dependent. The incorporation of the new reproductive technologies has been an inherently politicised process, with barriers to access to these technologies emerging in relation to ethnic identity and race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, gender, and marital status.     

Mitochondrial haplotypes and the New Zealand origin of clonal European Potamopyrgus, an invasive aquatic snail

The small aquatic snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum is an important invading species in Europe, Australia and North America. European populations are generally believed to derive from accidental introductions from New Zealand, probably dating back to the mid-19th century. We have employed mitochondrial DNA sequences to test the proposed New Zealand origin of European Potamopyrgus, and to learn more about its genealogical history. Using a 481-bp region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, we identified 17 distinct haplotypes among 65 snails from New Zealand. In marked contrast, only two haplotypes were found across all European samples, which cover a large geographical area. Importantly, these two haplotypes are shared with snails from the North Island of New Zealand. Due to sampling limitations we cannot rule out a South Island origin for one of the haplotypes, but our results clearly demonstrate the New Zealand origin of European populations. The marked divergence among the two European haplotypes implies the successful colonization by two distinct mitochondrial lineages, which is consistent with previous data based on nuclear markers.     

Variability in the diet of New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) at the Auckland Islands, New Zealand

We examined the stomach contents of 121 New Zealand (NZ) sea lions ( Phocarctos hookeri ) caught by the squid fishery during the summer/autumn 1997–2006 around the Auckland Islands (51°S, 166°E). Dietary variation was assessed among juveniles, lactating females, nonlactating females and males, and between areas on the Auckland Islands shelf. The digested fraction of the contents consisted mostly of opalfish ( Hemerocoetes spp.) (50.1% by number [ N ], 4.7% by mass [ M ]), rattail ( Coelorinchus spp.) (12.0% N , 2.4% M ), arrow squid ( Nototodarus sloani ) (14.1% N , 17.9% M ), octopus ( Enteroctopus zealandicus ) (2.1% N , 27.8% M ), and red cod ( Pseudophycis bachus ) (3.8% N , 4.3% M ). Opalfish was found in greater proportions in the stomachs of females (lactating: 58.1% N , nonlactating: 62.4% N ) and juveniles (56.9% N ) than males (14.5% N ). Juveniles caught smaller opalfish and rattail than adults did. Over all classes, sea lions ate larger prey in the east than in the north of the Auckland Islands shelf. The common prey—arrow squid and rattail—constitute an abundant resource at the edges of the Auckland Islands shelf, where lactating NZ sea lions forage. Although these key areas are far from the rookeries and impacted by the squid fishery, they may provide the only reliable resource able to support the cost of benthic foraging behavior in the deepest diver of all otariids.     

Occurrence of the common wasp,Vespula vulgaris (L.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in New Zealand

Abstract

After occurring sporadically in New Zealand since 1921, the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (L.), was found in March and April 1983 to be established in Dunedin, where 6 nests were discovered. Subsequent examination of museum specimens showed that queens had been collected in Wellington in 1978, and nests by January 1982. Christchurch was invaded in early 1984, several workers were collected near Auckland in March and April 1984, and workers were reported at Nelson in March and May 1984. The Dunedin nests were up to 6 times the size of nests recorded from the Northern Hemisphere, and produced up to 23 times as many new queens. Workers, nest size, and nest productivity were sufficiently different from those reported in western North America to suggest that the New Zealand population originated elsewhere. Colour patterning of the head and pronotum readily separate New Zealand V. vulgaris from New Zealand V. germanica. The nest carton of V. vulgaris is brown; that of V. germanica is grey. Conditions in New Zealand appear to be favourable for V. vulgaris; it can be expected to spread and it may at times reach the high population levels experienced in Europe and the western United States.     

An appraisal of simple tree-mounted shelters for non-lethal monitoring of weta (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae) in New Zealand nature reserves

When monitoring rare insect species, or when surveying faunas within nature reserves, it is desirable not to use indiscriminate lethal sampling techniques. In this investigation we assessed the usefulness of simple tree-mounted wooden shelters to monitor endemic weta (Orthoptera) in nature reserves in Canterbury, New Zealand. Fifty shelters were placed out at six sites and examined at three-monthly intervals for a year. A wide variety of invertebrates were found utilizing the shelters, with Arachnida, Blattodea and Collembola being the most common occupants. After three months over 80% of the shelters exhibited signs of use by invertebrates, increasing to 96% after 12 months. Only seven tree weta (Anostostomatidae) and one (dead) ground weta (Hemiandrus sp.) were observed in the shelters over the full 12 month period. There were 52 observations of cave weta (Rhaphidophoridae) in the shelters, 36 of which occurred at one site, Orton Bradley Park. Occupation of the shelters by cave weta was not affected by soil conditions, light intensity or aspect of the shelter. However, cave weta exhibited a preference for shelters less than 50 cm above the ground and for shelters attached to kanuka and vines. Although weta were found in only a small proportion (9%) of the shelters, this method proved useful in confirming the presence of weta without risk of harming vulnerable populations. These shelters are inexpensive and easy to manufacture and have potential for long-term non-lethal monitoring of weta and as a collection/carriage device for live specimens used in conservation translocations.     

Behavior of free-ranging common dolphins (Delphinus sp.) in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand

Here we present the first data describing the behavior of common dolphins ( Delphinus sp.) in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Activity budgets are used to assess the effects of diel, season, depth, sea surface temperature, group size, and composition on dolphin behavior. Additionally, the presence/absence of Bryde's whale ( Balaenoptera brydei ) and Australasian gannet ( Morus serrator ) is examined in relation to dolphin behavior. Behavioral data were collected from 686 independent dolphin groups during boat-based surveys conducted between February 2002 and January 2005. Foraging (46.7%) and social (7.2%) were the most and least frequently observed behaviors, respectively. Travel (28.9%), mill (9.5%), and rest (7.7%) accounted for the remainder of the activity budget. Behavior varied seasonally, with the highest proportion of foraging and resting groups observed during the spring and autumn, respectively. Behavior also varied with water depth, with foraging animals observed in the deepest and resting groups recorded in the shallowest regions of the Hauraki Gulf. A correlation between group size and behavior was evident, although behavior did not vary with the composition of dolphin groups. Resting, milling, and socializing animals were more frequently observed in smaller group sizes. Foraging behavior was prevalent in both small and large group sizes, suggesting foraging plasticity exists within this population. Behavior differed between single- and multispecies groups, with foraging more frequent in multispecies groups. Resting, milling, or socializing was rarely observed in the presence of any associated species, indicating the primary mechanism for association is likely prey related.     

A pseudodontorn (Pelecaniformes: Pelagornithidae) from the middle Pliocene of Hawera,Taranaki, New Zealand

Abstract

The distal portion of a right humerus and the proximal end of a radius, belonging to a ‘bony-toothed bird’ (family Pelagornithidae), were collected from marine sediments at Hawera, North Island, New Zealand, and are of Waipipian age (middle Pliocene). This is the first record of a pseudodontorn from the North Island, the third for New Zealand. These specimens extend the world geological time range for this family of extinct birds (previously early Eocene to late Miocene) into the middle Pliocene.     

The relative importance of solitary bees and syrphid flies as pollinators of two outcrossing plant species in the New Zealand alpine

Pollinators vary in their relative contribution to the conspecific pollen deposited onto receptive stigmas, because of variation in both visitation rate and effectiveness of pollen transfer. Syrphid flies and short‐tongued solitary bees are common flower visitors in alpine New Zealand, yet their relative importance as pollinators is unknown. We measured pollinator performance of the New Zealand alpine endemics Hylaeus matamoko (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) and Allograpta spp. (Diptera: Syrphidae) on two New Zealand alpine herbs, Ourisia glandulosa (Plantaginaceae) and Wahlenbergia albomarginata (Campanulaceae). Ourisia glandulosa received visits by solitary bees and syrphid flies at equal frequencies, whereas W. albomarginata was mostly visited by H. matamoko. Based on single‐visit pollen deposition to virgin stigmas, H. matamoko was a much more effective pollinator than Allograpta spp., delivering 10 times as much pollen per visit to O. glandulosa stigmas and 3 times as much to W. albomarginata stigmas. By multiplying visitation frequency by single‐visit pollen deposition, we estimated that H. matamoko performed 90% and 95% of the pollination of O. glandulosa and W. albomarginata, respectively. Although H. matamoko bees are short‐tongued and small in size, they are critically important to plant reproductive success in the New Zealand alpine. These bees contributed most of the pollination, even to a species that received just as many visits by flies, underscoring the need to consider per‐visit effectiveness as well as visitation rate in assessing the importance of different pollinators.     

Life history in culture of the obligate epiphyte Porphyra subtumens (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) endemic to New Zealand

This is the first report of the growth in culture of Porphyra subtumens J. Agardh ex Laing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta), an obligate epiphyte of Durvillaea species and endemic to New Zealand waters. Archeospores, previously observed on field material, develop directly into the blade phase. Spores released from field collected blades form conchocelis. Conchospores develop into new blades, completing the life history in culture. Earlier reports of reproduction in P. subtumens gave conflicting accounts with some authors citing this species as having an asexual, monophasic life history with an unusual form of spore production, while others described spermatangia and carposporangia on the blade phase.     

Whistle characteristics of common dolphins (Delphinus sp.) in the Hauraki Gulf,New Zealand

Quantifying the vocal repertoire of a species is critical for subsequent analysis of signal functionality, geographic variation, and social relevance. However, the vocalizations of free‐ranging common dolphins (Delphinus sp.) have not previously been described from New Zealand waters. We present the first quantitative analysis of whistle characteristics to be undertaken on the New Zealand population. Acoustic data were collected in the Hauraki Gulf, North Island from 28 independent dolphin group encounters. A total of 11,715 whistles were collected from 105.1 min of recordings. Seven whistle contours were identified containing 29 subtypes. Vocalizations spanned from 3.2 to 23 kHz, with most whistles occurring between 11 and 13 kHz. Whistle duration ranged from 0.01 to 4.00 s (mean ± SD; 0.27 ± 0.32). Of the 2,663 whistles analyzed, 82% have previously been identified within U.K. populations. An additional six contours, apparently unique to New Zealand Delphinus were also identified. Data presented here offer a first insight into the whistle characteristics of New Zealand Delphinus. Comparisons with previously studied populations reveal marked differences in the whistle frequency and modulation of the New Zealand population. Interpopulation differences suggest behavior and the local environment likely play a role in shaping the vocal repertoire of this species.     

Egg characteristics and oviposition behaviour of the aquatic insect orders Ephemeroptera,Plecoptera and Trichoptera in New Zealand: a review

The abundance and distribution of aquatic insects may be controlled by factors at any stage of the life cycle. To understand the potential role of factors affecting egg and adult stages and oviposition, basic information on egg characteristics and oviposition behaviour is required. However, published information on New Zealand Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) is scattered and very limited. This review compiles current knowledge of New Zealand EPT egg characteristics and oviposition behaviour using published information and unpublished observations. Where direct observations are lacking, information on closely related species overseas, and inferences based on female morphology, are included. Eggs show a variety of physical characteristics that may influence egg retention, transport and distribution. Oviposition behaviour is highly selective among some taxa, but appears generalist among others, though the latter may still require specific cues. Identifying and providing for adult, egg and oviposition requirements may be fundamental to re-establishing EPT populations in restored aquatic habitats.     

Distribution of benthic invertebrates in acid,brown water streams in the South Island of New Zealand

Acid, brown water streams are common on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Acid precipitation is not a significant problem in this region where stream water acidity is brought about by high concentrations of humic substances. The interrelationships between pH, alkalinity, conductivity, DOC and total reactive aluminium were investigated at 45 running water sites. pH (range 3.5–8.1) was strongly correlated with alkalinity (range 0–49 g·m⁻³ CaCO₃) and less strongly with conductivity (range 2.0–9.7 mS·m⁻¹). A strong positive correlation was found between DOC and total reactive aluminium concentration both of which were correlated negatively with pH. In all brown water streams, most aluminium was probably in the non-toxic, organically complexed form. Benthic invertebrate assemblages were examined at 34 sites. Taxonomic richness was not correlated with pH and similar numbers of ephemeropteran, plecopteran and trichopteran taxa were taken from acidobiontic (pH ⩽ 5.5), acidophilic (pH 5.6–6.9) and moderately alkaline (pH ⩾ 7.0) groups of streams. Many species occurred over a wide pH range and had a lower limit of about pH 4.5. The mayfly, Deleatidium occurred at 33 sites and was amongst the five most abundant taxa at 32 of them. The stoneflies, Zelandobius confusus, Austroperla cyrene and Stenoperla maclellani, an elmid, Hydora sp. and a caddisfly, Psilochorema sp. also occurred in over half the streams and frequently were abundant. Few habitat specialists were found. Benthic assemblages were not associated strongly with measured physicochemical factors but streams in close proximity tended to have similar faunas. This suggests that the availability of suitable colonizers sets the limits to species richness and is important in determining the composition of benthic assemblages at a particular locality.     

First record of the genus Dudresnaya (Dumontiaceae,Rhodophyta) in New Zealand waters

The genus Dudresnaya is reported for the first time in New Zealand waters. Samples were collected in Bay of Islands, northern New Zealand, on rhodolith beds and at the edge of a rocky reef, between ?5 and ?10 m depth. The species was identified by morphological and anatomical characters as Dudresnaya capricornica and its identity was confirmed by molecular sequence data. This species is characterized by terete radial branches, outer cortical cells cylindrical, presence of hexagonal crystals, lack of annulation and mucilage coat on auxiliary cell branches, oblique division of carpogonium and cystocarps no cleft. The rbcL phylogenetic analysis showed the genus Dudresnaya is strongly supported and sister to taxa in the family Dumontiaceae. This family is also closely related to the families Rhizophillidaceae and Kallymeniaceae. This is the first record of the family Dumontiaceae in New Zealand.     

Phylogeny, biogeography and adaptive radiation of Pachycladon (Brassicaceae) in the mountains of South Island, New Zealand

Aim To report analyses and propose hypotheses of adaptive radiation that explain distributional patterns of the alpine genus Pachycladon Hook.f. – a morphologically diverse genus from New Zealand closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana. Location South Island, New Zealand. Methods Morphological and nrDNA ITS sequence phylogenies were generated for Pachycladon. An analysis is presented of species distributional patterns and attributes. Results Phylogenetic analyses of morphological characters and nrDNA ITS sequence data were found to be congruent in supporting three New Zealand clades for Pachycladon. Monophyletic groups identified within the genus are geographically distinct and are associated with different geological parent materials. Distribution maps, latitude and altitude range, and data on geological parent material are presented for the nine named and one unnamed species of Pachycladon from New Zealand. Main conclusions (a) Panbiogeographic hypotheses accounting for the origin and present‐day distribution of Pachycladon in New Zealand are not supported.
(b) Species diversity and distributions of Pachycladon are explained by a Late Tertiary–Quaternary adaptive radiation associated with increasing specialization to geological substrates. Pachycladon cheesemanii Heenan & A.D.Mitch. is morphologically similar to the closest overseas relatives. It is a geological generalist and has wide latitudinal and altitudinal ranges, and we suggest it resembles the ancestral form of the genus in New Zealand. Pachycladon novae‐zelandiae (Hook.f.) Hook.f. and P. wallii (Carse) Heenan & A.D.Mitch. are a southern South Island group that predominantly occurs on Haast Schist, are polycarpic, have lobed leaves, and lateral inflorescences. Pachycladon enysii (Cheeseman) Heenan & A.D.Mitch., P. fastigiata (Hook.f.) Heenan & A.D.Mitch., and P. stellata (Allan) Heenan & A.D.Mitch. are restricted to greywacke in the eastern South Island, and are facultatively monocarpic, have serrate leaves, and stout terminal inflorescenes.
(c) Present distributions of Pachycladon species may relate to Pleistocene climate change. Pachycladon enysii reaches the highest altitude of New Zealand species of Pachycladon and is most common in the Southern Alps in Canterbury. We propose that this species survived on nunataks at the height of the last glaciation. In contrast, P. fastigiata grows at a lower altitude and is absent from the high mountains of the Southern Alps. We suggest it was extirpated from this area during the last glaciation.     

Lasting the distance: The survival of alien birds shipped to New Zealand in the 19th century

Invasive alien species are a major threat to biodiversity and human activities, providing a strong incentive to understand the processes by which alien invasion occurs. While it is important to understand the determinants of success at each of several invasion stages—transport, introduction, establishment, and spread—few studies have explored the first of these stages. Here, we quantify and analyze variation in the success of individual animals in surviving the transport stage, based on shipping records of European passerines destined for New Zealand. We mined the original documents of Acclimatisation Societies, established in New Zealand for the purpose of introducing supposedly beneficial alien species, in combination with recently digitized newspaper archives, to produce a unique dataset of 122 ships that carried passerines from Europe to New Zealand between 1850 and 1885. For 37 of these shipments, data on the survival of individual species were available. Using generalized linear mixed models, we explored how survival was related to characteristics of the shipments and the species. We show that species differed greatly in their survival, but none of the tested traits accounted for these differences. Yet, survival increased over time, which mirrors the switch from early haphazard shipments to larger organized shipments. Our results imply that it was the quality of care received by the birds that most affected success at this stage of the invasion process.