Over the past 100 million years, as New Zealand inched its way into its present isolation, plant and animal life emerged on the island. As these hardy survivors adapted to their new island home, they evolved into species that are unique to the region. The process is called adaptive radiation. It involves one plant or animal splitting into many species, to fill different ecological niches—ways of life in the same geological area. When this process is well under way, an organism no longer mates with its ancestral type and a new species emerges, with an increased chance for survival.
HOT SPOT
Before humans arrived, New Zealand’s plants and animals lived long and largely without fear. With the lack of predators, flight, for some species of birds, was not necessary for survival. In fact, New Zealand at one time had up to 15 kinds of giant flightless birds called moas. The smallest was the size of a turkey; the largest was a giant at 15 feet (1.5 m) tall. Then, in the thirteenth century, humans arrived on the North Island. In his book The Future of Life, E.O. Wilson describes the moas’ native presence in New Zealand and their subsequent slaughter:
This story is from the July/August 2020 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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This story is from the July/August 2020 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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