Prehistoric demise of Chathams sea lion a stark warning
Prehistoric demise of Chathams sea lion a stark warning
Monday, 11 July 2016, 11:56 am
Press Release: University of Otago
Monday 11 July 2016
Prehistoric demise of Chathams sea lion a stark warning for conservation of NZ sea lion
An international research team led by University of Otago scientists has shown that New Zealand’s Chatham Islands were once home to a unique population of sea lion that was driven to extinction soon after first human settlement.
The researchers used ancient-DNA analysis, radiocarbon dating and computational modelling to reveal the relationships of the unique prehistoric population, and also to understand the reasons for its sudden extinction a few hundred years ago.
Dr Nic Rawlence, who carried out the genetic study, says the team found a previously undiscovered lineage of sea lion on the isolated Chatham Islands, 650 km east of mainland New Zealand. The unique prehistoric Chathams sea lion was genetically clearly distinct from the modern population that persists in the Auckland and Campbell Islands, and mainland New Zealand today.
More:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC1607/S00029/prehistoric-demise-of-chathams-sea-lion-a-stark-warning.htm
