Dr Nic Rawlence Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory

Dr Nic Rawlence came to talk to the year 7's about climate change and adaptation.

Did you know the Yellow- eyed penguin has only been in New Zealand for about 500 years?  It travelled to New Zealand from the Auckland Islands where the climate was cooler.  

Did you know that the height of a Moa was dependent on climate at the time?  Moa's were larger during a cool period and smaller during a warm period. Check out Po'oi with the Moa bone.

Dr Nic talked to the year 7's about how his work with ancient DNA can map climate change and adaptation of species. He talked about when we have a cold period our larger species died out not because of the cold but because the climate changed and became wetter.  As the climate became wetter the vegetation species relied on couldn't sustain growth and the food sources died out. This in turn upset the food chain. The introduction of humans at times has also played a part.

He also talked about how advances in DNA have meant that scientists were able to identify the Otago Shag as a completely different species of shag.  These same advancement means scientists might be able to use DNA from up to a million years ago to repopulate a species.  He warned us it was not like Jurassic Park!!!

Thank you Dr Nic for coming to talk to the year 7's.