Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T14:13:19.416Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Last interglacial beetle fauna from New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Maureen J. Marra*
Affiliation:
School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
*
E- mail address: [email protected] (M.J. Marra).

Abstract

Fossil beetles from two last interglacial lake deposits from southern Wairarapa, central New Zealand are provisionally ascribed to marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 5a–e. Both assemblages represent ecological successions from lake margins to forest. The lower sample (MIS 5e) is characterized by species found today in northern New Zealand. These species, including Lorelus crassicornis, ‘Dasytes’ laticeps, Cryptobius nitidius, ‘Stenomalium’ sulcithorax, Psilocnaeia nana, and Microbrontes lineatus, represent a southward displacement from modern distributions by up to 700 km. Climate reconstruction indicates that temperatures at the time of deposition were 1.6–2.5°C warmer in the summer (January) and 2.3–3.2°C warmer in the winter (July) than at present. These results match local and regional pollen and phytolith findings of warmer, wetter conditions at the thermal maximum of the last interglaciation. In contrast, the upper sample is characterized by species that have widespread modern-day distributions. This indicates that modern conditions were attained later in MIS5, after the MIS 5e thermal maximum.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Elsevier Science (USA)

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ashworth, A.C. Perspectives on Quaternary beetles and climate change. Gerhard, L.C., Harrisson, W.E., and Hanson, B.M. Geological Perspectives of Global Climate Change,. (2001). AAPG Studies in Geology No. 47, Tulsa, OK. 153 168.Google Scholar
Ashworth, A.C., and Hoganson, J.W. The magnitude and rapidity of the climate change marking an end of the Pleistocene in the mid-latitudes of South America. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Paleoecology 101, (1993). 263 270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkinson, T.C., Briffa, K.R., and Coope, G.R. Seasonal temperatures in Britain during the last 22,000 years, reconstruction using beetle remains. Nature 325, (1987). 587 592.Google Scholar
Bagnall, A.C., and Peterson, G.C. William Colenso, Printer, Missionary, Botanist, Explorer, Politician. His Life and Journeys. (1948). R.H. and R.W. Reed, Wellington.Google Scholar
Bussell, M.R. Palynology of oxygen isotope stages 6 and substage 5e from cover beds of a marine terrace, Taranaki, New Zealand. Quaternary Research 34, (1990). 86 100.Google Scholar
Bussell, M.R. A late Pleistocene vegetation and climatic history of oxygen isotope stage 5, Ararata, south Taranaki, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 23, (1992). 129 145.Google Scholar
Cartellieri, M., and Lövei, G.L. Seasonal dynamics and reproductive phenology of Plocamostethus planiusculus (White) and Megadromus turgidiceps (Broun), two endemic New Zealand ground beetles. Brandmayr, P., Lövei, G.L., Zetto-Brandmayr, T., Casale, A., and Vigna Taglianti, A. Natural History and Applied Ecology of Corobid Beetles. (2000). Pensoft Publishers, Sofia. 179 184.Google Scholar
Carter, J.A. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction from last interglacial using phytolith analysis, southeastern North Island, New Zealand. Journal of Quaternary Science 15, (2000). 733 743.Google Scholar
Carter, J.A. Phytolith analysis and paleoenvironmental reconstruction from Lake Poukawa core, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Global and Planetary Change 33, (2002). 257 267.Google Scholar
Cong, S., and Ashworth, A.C. Paleoenvironmental interpretation of middle and late Wisconsinan fossil coleopteran assemblages from western Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Journal of Quaternary Science 11, (1996). 345 356.Google Scholar
Coope, G.R. Tibetan species of dung beetles from Late Pleistocene deposits in England. Nature 245, (1973). 335 336.Google Scholar
Coope, G.R. Fossil Coleopteran assemblages as sensitive indicators of climatic changes during the Devensian (Last) cold stage. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B 280, (1977). 313 340.Google Scholar
Eade, R. (1995). Late Quaternary Geology of the Wharekauhau Area, Ocean Beach, Palliser Bay. Unpublished B.Sc. Honours Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, Google Scholar
Elias, S.A. Quaternary Insects and Their Environments. (1994). Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Emberson, R.M. (1998). The size and shape of New Zealand insect fauna. in: Ecosystems, Entomology and Plants, The Royal Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series 48, . Pp. 3137.Google Scholar
Ghani, M.A. Late Cenozoic vertical crustal movements in the southern North Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 21, (1978). 117 125.Google Scholar
Hansen, M. Synopsis of the endemic New Zealand genera of the beetle subfamily Sphaeridiinae (Coleoptera: Hydophilidae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 24, (1997). 351 370.Google Scholar
Heusser, L.E., and Van de Geer, G. Direct correlation of terrestrial and marine paleoclimatic records from four glacial–interglacial cycles—DSPS 594 southwest Pacific. Quarternary Science Reviews 13, (1994). 273 282.Google Scholar
Hill, R.D. The vegetation of the Wairarapa in mid 19th Century. Tuatara 11, (1963). 83 89.Google Scholar
Hoganson, J.W., and Ashworth, A.C. Fossil beetle evidence for climatic change 18,000–10,000 years B.P. in south-central Chile. Quaternary Research 37, (1992). 101 116.Google Scholar
Holloway, B.A. Anthribidae (Insecta: Coleoptera), in. Fauna of New Zealand. Vol. 3, (1982). Manaaki Whenua Press, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Klimaszewski, J., Newton, A.F. Jr., and Thayer, M.K. A review of the New Zealand rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 23, (1996). 143 160.Google Scholar
Klimaszewski, J., and Watt, J.C. (1997). Manaaki Whenua Press, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Kuschel, G. Beetles in a Suburban Environment. A New Zealand Case Study, DSIR Plant Protection Report No. 3. (1990). Mt Albert Research Centre, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Larochelle, A., and Lariviere, M.-C. Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera). Catalogue, Fauna of New Zealand 4. (2001). Manaaki Whenua Press, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Lövei, G.L., and Cartellieri, M. Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in forest fragments of the Manawatu, New Zealand. collapsed assemblages?. Journal of Insect Conservation 4, (2000). 239 244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mildenhall, D.C. Pleistocene palynology of the Petone and seaview drillholes, Petone, Lower Hutt, North Island, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 25, 2 (1995). 207 262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, R.F. Late Glacial Coleoptera in maritime Canada and the transition to the Younger Dryas chronozone. Ashworth, A.C., Buckland, P.C., and Sedler, J.P. Studies in Quaternary Entomology—An Inordinate Fondness for Insects’ Quaternary, Proceedings No. 5. (1997). 177 184.Google Scholar
Moar, N.T., and Suggate, R.P. Vegetation history from the last Kaihinui (Last) Interglacial to present, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand. Quaternary Science Review 15, (1996). 521 547.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nelson, C.S., Cooke, P.J., Hendy, C.H., and Cuthbertson, A.M. Oceanographic and climatic changes over the past 160,000 years at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 594 off southeastern New Zealand, Southwest Pacific Ocean. Palaeoceanography 8, (1993). 435 458.Google Scholar
Norton, D.A., McGlone, M.S., and Wigley, T.M.L. Quantitative analysis of modern pollen–climate relationships in New Zealand indigenous forests. New Zealand Journal of Botany 26, (1986). 37 62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okuda, M.J., Shulmeister, J., and Flenely, J.R. Vegetation change with climatic implications for the last Pleistocene at Lake Poukawa, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Global and Planetary Change 33, (2002). 269 282.Google Scholar
Palmer, A.S., and Vucetich, C.G. Last Glacial loess and early Last Glacial vegetation history of Wairarapa Valley, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 32, (1989). 499 513.Google Scholar
Schwert, D.P., Torpen-Kreft, H.J., and Hajic, E.R. Characterization of the Late- Wisconsinan tundra-forest transition in Midcontinental North America using assemblages of beetle fossils. Ashworth, A.C., Buckland, P.C., and Sedler, J.P. Studies in Quaternary Entomology—An Inordinate Fondness for Insects, Quaternary Proceedings No. 5. (1997). 237 243.Google Scholar
Shulmeister, J., Soons, J.M., Berger, G.W., Harper, M., Holt, S., Moar, N., and Carter, J. Environmental and sea-level changes on Banks Peninsula (Canterbury New Zealand) through three glaciation–interglaciation cycles. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 152, (1999). 101 127.Google Scholar
Vella, P. Upper Pleistocene succession in the inland part of the Wairarapa Valley, New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 18, (1963). 309 324.Google Scholar
Wardle, J. Vegetation of the Aorangi Range, southern Wairarapa. New Zealand Journal of Botany 5, (1967). 22 48.Google Scholar
Watt, J.C. Tenebrionidae (Insecta: Coleoptera). Catalogue of Types and Keys to Taxa, Fauna of New Zealand 26. (1992). Manaaki Whenua Press, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Werner, F.G., and Chandler, D.S. Anthicidae (Insecta: Coleoptera), Fauna of New Zealand 34. (1995). Manaaki Whenua Press, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Woolfe, K.J. Lakes Onoke and Wairarapa as modern analogues for the Hautotara and Te Muna Formations (mid-Pleistocene), Southern Wairarapa, New Zealand. Sedimentary Geology 84, (1993). 123 137.Google Scholar