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Introduced species on Henderson and Pitcaim. Number of species introduced by humans and the percentage of the total fauna they represent.
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... Henderson Island (24"22'S, 128"18'E) is ideal for research on biogeography and the impact of humans on bird populations due to the excellent preservation of bone material. Thus Henderson's limestone structure, remoteness and relatively undisturbed character made it an ideal location for a multi-disciplinary research programme (Weisler et al, 1991; Paulay, 1991). Archaeological excavations were conducted in collaboration with Marshall Weisler, University of California, Berkeley (Weisler, 1995), as part of the Sir Peter Scott Commemorative Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands (January 1991 to March 1992). ...
... This is not impractical, indeed it is only violent weather systems that can travel contrary to prevailing winds and currents that can affect hydrochorous dispersal to isolated oceanic islands (e.g. Diamond, 1984;Paulay, 1991;Benton & Lehtinten, 1995). ...
Aim To identify Antarctic palaeoendemic taxa and their probable glacial refugia from regional groups of endemic species records.
Location Antarctica.
Methods We compiled a list of Antarctic non-marine invertebrates from published literature, and then deleted all records relating to non-endemic, zoochoric (phoretic and parasitic), marine and partially identified species to leave only the elements endemic to Antarctica. We then used cluster analysis and principal components analysis to identify regional groupings within this endemic fauna.
Results Some 170+ of the reported 520+ Antarctic invertebrates are free-living and endemic, but only nine of these are pan-Antarctic, with the majority having either ‘continental’/eastern or ‘maritime’/western distributions.
Main conclusions All invertebrates endemic to continental Antarctica are confined to, or found adjacent to, ice-free palaeorefugial mountains, nunataks and coastal exposures. By contrast, only one maritime Antarctic palaeorefugium has been identified, and most endemic taxa are currently associated with coastal lowland neorefugia. We suggest which regions of Antarctica (1) are likely to be refugial, and (2) simply require more data in order that the nature and origin of their fauna can be elucidated.
... This is not impractical, indeed it is only violent weather systems that can travel contrary to prevailing winds and currents that can affect hydrochorous dispersal to isolated oceanic islands (e.g. Diamond, 1984;Paulay, 1991;Benton & Lehtinten, 1995). ...
The Scotia Arc comprises South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney and South Shetland Islands together with the Antarctic Peninsula. Free-living Acari of the Scotia Arc contain immigrant and endemic elements. Transport of immigrant species to and within the Maritime Antarctic has been via Holocene storms and ocean currents. Most immigrants are Gamasida, Oribatida and Acaridida while Actinedida dominate the endemic element. Immigrant species on South Georgia share common ‘sub-Antarctic’ affinities with South Indian and, to a lesser extent, South Pacific Ocean island faunas. In contrast, immigrants to the rest of the Scotia Arc and Bouvetøya on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, form a robust ‘Maritime Antarctic’ Province group. The endemic component is of largely Tertiary origin and, like that of Continental Antarctica, dominated by a few cosmopolitan families and genera of Actinedida. There are no bona fide pan-Antarctic species and little evidence that Continental and Maritime Antarctic faunas have a common ancestry, indeed the Continental endemic fauna is entirely montane while that of Maritime Antarctica is coastal. The presence of common Maritime Antarctic/South Pacific island genera corroborate the Antarctic Peninsula as being derived from a South Pacific island archipelago which collided with Continental Antarctica during the Tertiary period.
... Henderson Island (24"22'S, 128"18'E) is ideal for research on biogeography and the impact of humans on bird populations due to the excellent preservation of bone material. Thus Henderson's limestone structure, remoteness and relatively undisturbed character made it an ideal location for a multi-disciplinary research programme (Weisler et al, 1991; Paulay, 1991). Archaeological excavations were conducted in collaboration with Marshall Weisler, University of California, Berkeley (Weisler, 1995), as part of the Sir Peter Scott Commemorative Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands (January 1991 to March 1992). ...
A new species of ground dove in the genus Gallicolumba is described from abundant material from late Pleistocene to Holocene age deposits of natural and midden derivation on Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Group, South Pacific Ocean. Osteological characters suggest that it was most closely related to G. stairi and G. rubescens. Relatively enlarged leg elements and reduced wing elements suggest that this dove was facultatively flightless.
... This remote uninhabited island stands alone as probably the last essentially pristine elevated limestone island in the world (Fosberg et al. 1983 ) and was the main reason for its designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Compared with almost all other Paci¢c islands, Henderson is indeed relatively undisturbed and retains a signi¢cant endemic biota (Paulay 1991b). Recent archaeological work, however, has shown that Henderson was settled by early Polynesians between 800 and 1050 AD and deserted sometime in the seventeenth century, following an abrupt end to inter-island voyaging at about 1450 AD (Weisler 1994Weisler , 1995). ...
Henderson Island, an uninhabited raised coral atoll in the Pitcairn group, has recently been designated a World Heritage Site because of its unique and relatively undisturbed ecosystem. The island is believed to have been uplifted and subaerially exposed during the last 275 kyr. This therefore provides the maximum age for the terrestrial biota that includes several endemic taxa. Henderson today supports 16 strictly terrestrial species of snails, about half of which are endemic. Analyses of sediments beneath Polynesian occupation horizons dated between the 11th and 17th centuries AD, have yielded 11 species of land snail present in the modern fauna, together with at least six (and possibly as many as eight) further species that no longer occur on the island. These extinct taxa are illustrated and formal descriptions provided for five (Pleuropoma hendersoni, Orobophana carinacosta, Minidonta macromphalus, Philonesia pyramidalis, P. weisleri); a sixth, known only from broken shells, appears to belong to the genus Hiona. The two remaining taxa are 'tornatellinids' that have not been recognized among the modern fauna. Radiocarbon dates from bones of associated extinct land birds confirm their occurrence on Henderson before the first signs of Polynesian settlement. The extinction of these taxa seems to coincide with the Polynesian occupation and evidence for large-scale burning, at least around parts of the plateau margin, suggests that their demise can be linked with habitat destruction. At least three species, Gastrocopta pediculus, Lamellidea oblonga and Pupisoma orcula, first appear in Polynesian occupation horizons. Their status as prehistoric introductions is therefore confirmed but G. pediculus no longer lives on Henderson. Pacificella variabilis, Tornatellides oblongus parvulus and Elasmias sp., all previously thought to have been other prehistoric introductions to Henderson, were recovered from pre-Polynesian levels and are therefore native.
... Henderson Island (24"22'S, 128"18'E) is ideal for research on biogeography and the impact of humans on bird populations due to the excellent preservation of bone material. Thus Henderson's limestone structure, remoteness and relatively undisturbed character made it an ideal location for a multi-disciplinary research programme (Weisler et al, 1991;Paulay, 1991). ...
Recent studies of island biotas have suggested that the impact of man on indigenous flora and fauna is much greater than previously suspected. This impact resulted in the introduction of many new species and the extinction of many unique life-forms. Henderson Island, in the Pitcairn Group, has been found to be an excellent laboratory for the study of natural faunal turnover and the impact of people on the natural environment. This was principally due to the island's remote location and its limestone structure, which resulted in the excellent preservation of fossil remains. During the Sir Peter Scott Commemorative Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands, extensive excavations were undertaken resulting in the collection of 42213 bird bones. It was possible to identify 31%. Of the 31 taxa identified, four seabirds appear to be vagrants, a surprisingly high number illustrating that the uncritical evaluation of fossil bird lists from other islands risks over-estimating the number of indigenous species. As a result of the arrival of Polynesian people during the first half of this millennium, half of Henderson's endemic landbirds became extinct, as did most of the small ground-nesting seabirds. The lower sea level during cold stages creates many temporary limestone ‘high’ islands. This results in many ‘former-atolls' developing geological and ecological similarity to Henderson. Hence lower sea-level greatly facilitates the movement of flora and fauna between currently isolated oceanic ‘high’ islands.
... Henderson Island (24"22'S, 128"18'E) is ideal for research on biogeography and the impact of humans on bird populations due to the excellent preservation of bone material. Thus Henderson's limestone structure, remoteness and relatively undisturbed character made it an ideal location for a multi-disciplinary research programme (Weisler et al, 1991;Paulay, 1991). ...
Recent studies of island biotas have suggested that the impact of man on indigenous flora and fauna is much greater than previously suspected. This impact resulted in the introduction of many new species and the extinction of many unique life-forms. Henderson Island, in the Pitcairn Group, has been found to be an excellent laboratory for the study of natural faunal turnover and the impact of people on the natural environment. This was principally due to the island's remote location and its limestone structure, which resulted in the excellent preservation of fossil remains. During the Sir Peter Scott Commemorative Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands, extensive excavations were undertaken resulting in the collection of 42 213 bird bones. It was possible to identify 31%. Of the 31 taxa identified, four seabirds appear to be vagrants, a surprisingly high number illustrating that the uncritical evaluation of fossil bird lists from other islands risks over-estimating the number of indigenous species. As a result of the arrival of Polynesian people during the first half of this millennium, half of Henderson's endemic landbirds became extinct, as did most of the small ground-nesting seabirds. The lower sea level during cold stages creates many temporary limestone `high' islands. This results in many `former-atolls' developing geological and ecological similarity to Henderson. Hence lower sea-level greatly facilitates the movement of flora and fauna between currently isolated oceanic `high' islands.
... tion , such as the flat - topped , uplifted lime - stone islands of Henderson and Niue ( S Polynesia ) , offer few opportunities for geo ? graphic restriction and generally lack intra - island diversifications ( Paulay , 19916 ...
Explores the origin of island biotas through dispersal and in situ diversification, and examines the fate of these biotas since human contact. Island biotas start out depauperate and disharmonic, facilitating survival of relict taxa and stimulating adaptive radiations. The often highly restricted range and small population size of insular species, together with their limited diversity of defenses, make island biotas particularly vulnerable to extinction, largely through habitat loss or interactions with introduced species. -from Author
Henderson Island is an emergent limestone island. It rises to 33.5 m above modern sea-level (MSL) from a sea-floor depth of about 3500 m and conforms to the pattern of an elevated atoll, although no field evidence was found pertaining to the pre-atoll volcanic history of the island. The emergence of this coral atoll can be explained by lithospheric flexure processes subsequent to the emplacement of the Pitcairn Island volcano, built by two phases of volcanism (estimated at 855 and 540 kyr by K-Ar dating). U-Th dates obtained from Henderson Island indicate that the majority of the presently visible fossil corals have an age between 404-225 kyr. Henderson Island first became emergent above MSL when sea level dropped subsequent to 380 kyr, as the period 440-380 is thought to have been characterized by sea level at least several metres above MSL in the Central Pacific. As a result Henderson Island would have become subaerially exposed from 380 kyr onwards. The uplift rate of Henderson Island is approximately 0.093-0.10 mm/yr indicating that flexure-induced uplift component above MSL commenced between 360-335 kyr, 500 kyr after the initial, and 190 kyr after the last phase of construction of the Pitcairn volcano. The time-lag following the loading of the Pitcairn volcano and the present continuation of uplift on Henderson support the theory that the lithosphere behaves in a visco-elastic manner. Field relations and U-Th dates indicate three main periods of reef development: (1) A prolific reef-building period (440-380 kyr [Unit 1] and 330-300 kyr [Units 2 & 3]) dominated by large, stout branching coral colonies; (2) A shorter period of reef growth (285-275 kyr [Unit 4]) dominated by well-formed large in situ coral colonies and Tridacna maxima; (3) A less prolific period of reef growth (230-215 kyr [Unit 5]) dominated by platy corals enveloping the previous lithologies below 19.6 m. The absence of dateable material from the last interglacial, oxygen isotope substage 5.5 (= 5e) at Henderson Island is in marked contrast to the Late Pleistocene reefs in the southern Cook Islands where reefs of substage 5.5 age skirt older carbonate complexes.
