Nic Rawlence
@nicrawlencenz.bsky.social
Associate Professor, palaeoecologist, and science communicator @Otago Palaeogenetics Lab using ancient DNA and palaeontology to reconstruct past ecosystems.
Always love being back up in my hometown of Nelson for a few days. This time, it's doing some PD for secondary school science and biology teachers on kiwi and moa evolution, and mythbusting de-extinction. It's great to be working with teachers from my old high school Nayland College.
November 11, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Always love being back up in my hometown of Nelson for a few days. This time, it's doing some PD for secondary school science and biology teachers on kiwi and moa evolution, and mythbusting de-extinction. It's great to be working with teachers from my old high school Nayland College.
I wouldn't call @itiscolossal.bsky.social CEO Ben Lamm's tweet respectful or funny, & certainly not his comments calling critics, like @devoevomed.bsky.social, lying tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists with mental health problems who are stalkers. Seriously WTF. What planet is Colossal on? 2/2
October 30, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I wouldn't call @itiscolossal.bsky.social CEO Ben Lamm's tweet respectful or funny, & certainly not his comments calling critics, like @devoevomed.bsky.social, lying tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists with mental health problems who are stalkers. Seriously WTF. What planet is Colossal on? 2/2
It would be very good to know what Labour's (@chrishipkins.bsky.social) & Greens' (Chloe Swarbrick) opinions are. What safeguards are going to be put in place to protect taonga in Te Papa collns & the vital work Te Papa scientists do to minimise the impact of the current biodiversity crisis? 5/5
October 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
It would be very good to know what Labour's (@chrishipkins.bsky.social) & Greens' (Chloe Swarbrick) opinions are. What safeguards are going to be put in place to protect taonga in Te Papa collns & the vital work Te Papa scientists do to minimise the impact of the current biodiversity crisis? 5/5
Te Papa & @auchmill.bsky.social need to be transparent & open with public discussion, not secretive like the last CEO. What is Minister Goldsmith's role in this? The govt is not supporting core govt services, & Te Papa is a core govt service. What is the Te Papa board role in this? 4/5
October 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Te Papa & @auchmill.bsky.social need to be transparent & open with public discussion, not secretive like the last CEO. What is Minister Goldsmith's role in this? The govt is not supporting core govt services, & Te Papa is a core govt service. What is the Te Papa board role in this? 4/5
If curators end up having to manage people, there will be less time for vital research, which will help stop the current biodiversity crisis we are in, & less time to look after taonga (treasures) in the collections 3/5
October 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
If curators end up having to manage people, there will be less time for vital research, which will help stop the current biodiversity crisis we are in, & less time to look after taonga (treasures) in the collections 3/5
Phil Edgar is a fantastic, kind, & stable manager, & a big supporter/advocate of nat hist. All 4 heads of collns will compete for the same job. Whomever gets it will be stretched too thin & have to look after lots of people, leading to more staff losses or management put onto curators 2/5
October 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Phil Edgar is a fantastic, kind, & stable manager, & a big supporter/advocate of nat hist. All 4 heads of collns will compete for the same job. Whomever gets it will be stretched too thin & have to look after lots of people, leading to more staff losses or management put onto curators 2/5
Te Papa restructure will see heads of collections (nat hist, Matauranga Maori, Pacific, Art) disestablished & replaced by 1 person. Phil Edgar, head of Nat Hist, isn't a line in a spreadsheet. There's not a great focus on colln & research of any kind in the new structure bsky.app/profile/nicr... 1/5
October 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Te Papa restructure will see heads of collections (nat hist, Matauranga Maori, Pacific, Art) disestablished & replaced by 1 person. Phil Edgar, head of Nat Hist, isn't a line in a spreadsheet. There's not a great focus on colln & research of any kind in the new structure bsky.app/profile/nicr... 1/5
New discoveries like the St Bathans bowerbird provide lovely insights into #NewZealand’s biological heritage. Let’s celebrate these #fossils as clues to the past & not use them to undermine the conservation of our living taonga treasured biodiversity. Art by Te Papa/Sasha Votyakova CC BY 4.0 9/9
October 26, 2025 at 9:56 PM
New discoveries like the St Bathans bowerbird provide lovely insights into #NewZealand’s biological heritage. Let’s celebrate these #fossils as clues to the past & not use them to undermine the conservation of our living taonga treasured biodiversity. Art by Te Papa/Sasha Votyakova CC BY 4.0 9/9
The St Bathans Miocene wonderland existed in #NewZealand before the Southern Alps rose up. Lake Manuherikia was home to fantastical animals, incl. crocs & palaeolodids. It was very different to NZ at human arrival. These ancient animals are not native in modern NZ. Art by Tom Simpson. 8/9
October 26, 2025 at 9:56 PM
The St Bathans Miocene wonderland existed in #NewZealand before the Southern Alps rose up. Lake Manuherikia was home to fantastical animals, incl. crocs & palaeolodids. It was very different to NZ at human arrival. These ancient animals are not native in modern NZ. Art by Tom Simpson. 8/9
The same is true for the ancient relatives of magpies, which went extinct after the Miocene. Modern makipai Australian magpies were introduced to #NewZealand by Europeans in the 1860's - they did not get here naturally. Photo by Les Feasey. 5/9
October 26, 2025 at 9:56 PM
The same is true for the ancient relatives of magpies, which went extinct after the Miocene. Modern makipai Australian magpies were introduced to #NewZealand by Europeans in the 1860's - they did not get here naturally. Photo by Les Feasey. 5/9
To illustrate turnover events, prehistoric shelducks colonised ancient #NewZealand only for them to go extinct. Around 2 million years ago, the tupuna ancestors of pūtangitangi paradise shelduck recolonised NZ. Art by Simone Giovanardi. Photo by Glen Pure blogs.otago.ac.nz/lost-worlds/... 4/9
October 26, 2025 at 9:56 PM
To illustrate turnover events, prehistoric shelducks colonised ancient #NewZealand only for them to go extinct. Around 2 million years ago, the tupuna ancestors of pūtangitangi paradise shelduck recolonised NZ. Art by Simone Giovanardi. Photo by Glen Pure blogs.otago.ac.nz/lost-worlds/... 4/9
Super chuffed to have been awarded $40,000 in the latest @universityofotago.bsky.social Research Grant round to continue our palaeontological research at St Bathans - with @palaeocharlie.bsky.social, @atennyson.bsky.social, Ross Thompson, Malcom Reid, Amy Adams, & Gerry Closs.
October 26, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Super chuffed to have been awarded $40,000 in the latest @universityofotago.bsky.social Research Grant round to continue our palaeontological research at St Bathans - with @palaeocharlie.bsky.social, @atennyson.bsky.social, Ross Thompson, Malcom Reid, Amy Adams, & Gerry Closs.
The St Bathans bowerbird lived far from its relatives in Australia & New Guinea. If it was a fruit eater, it may have been poorly equipped for cooling temperatures from 14 Mya & reduction in plant diversity, & may have become a victim of climate change. Artwork by Tom Simpson/@nzgeo.bsky.social. 7/9
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
The St Bathans bowerbird lived far from its relatives in Australia & New Guinea. If it was a fruit eater, it may have been poorly equipped for cooling temperatures from 14 Mya & reduction in plant diversity, & may have become a victim of climate change. Artwork by Tom Simpson/@nzgeo.bsky.social. 7/9
The St Bathans bowerbird joins other #NewZealand passerines with an ancient history, like the huia, kokako, piopio & mohua, whose ancestors flew across the ocean to NZ millions of years ago. Artwork by Paul Martinson/Te Papa CC-BY-SA. 6/9
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
The St Bathans bowerbird joins other #NewZealand passerines with an ancient history, like the huia, kokako, piopio & mohua, whose ancestors flew across the ocean to NZ millions of years ago. Artwork by Paul Martinson/Te Papa CC-BY-SA. 6/9
We can only speculate about its plumage & behaviour, but the St Bathans bowerbird may also have performed elaborate displays to attract a mate. Artwork by Sasha Votyakova/Te Papa CC-BY-SA. 5/9
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
We can only speculate about its plumage & behaviour, but the St Bathans bowerbird may also have performed elaborate displays to attract a mate. Artwork by Sasha Votyakova/Te Papa CC-BY-SA. 5/9
The size of the St Bathans bowerbird would make it the smallest known bowerbird weighing in at 33g cf. to its chunky relatives at 62-265g. Our analysis suggests its foot was most similar in shape to avenue bower builders like the flame bowerbird & the satin bowerbird. Photo by Daniel J. Field. 4/9
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
The size of the St Bathans bowerbird would make it the smallest known bowerbird weighing in at 33g cf. to its chunky relatives at 62-265g. Our analysis suggests its foot was most similar in shape to avenue bower builders like the flame bowerbird & the satin bowerbird. Photo by Daniel J. Field. 4/9
Until now, bowerbirds & their fossil relatives have only been found in Australia & New Guinea. Digital models of the partial tarsometatarus (foot bone) found at St Bathans bore all the hallmarks of a bowerbird, but one that was much smaller and more slender than living species. 3/9
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Until now, bowerbirds & their fossil relatives have only been found in Australia & New Guinea. Digital models of the partial tarsometatarus (foot bone) found at St Bathans bore all the hallmarks of a bowerbird, but one that was much smaller and more slender than living species. 3/9
Welcome to the world Aevipertidus gracilis - the gracile one from a lost age. 14-19 Mya ancient #NewZealand appears to have had a bowerbird. Check out this amazing research mahi led by Elizabeth Steell (www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....). Artwork by Sasha Votyakova/Te Papa CC-BY-SA. 1/9 🧵
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Welcome to the world Aevipertidus gracilis - the gracile one from a lost age. 14-19 Mya ancient #NewZealand appears to have had a bowerbird. Check out this amazing research mahi led by Elizabeth Steell (www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....). Artwork by Sasha Votyakova/Te Papa CC-BY-SA. 1/9 🧵
Tune into OAR 105.4FM this Friday from 12-1pm where I’ll be chatting to Richard Knights about moa and de-extinction oar.org.nz/shows/whats-...
October 21, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Tune into OAR 105.4FM this Friday from 12-1pm where I’ll be chatting to Richard Knights about moa and de-extinction oar.org.nz/shows/whats-...
I'm giving a talk tonight to Forest & Bird Southland. You are more than welcome to attend. It would be great to see you there.
October 20, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I'm giving a talk tonight to Forest & Bird Southland. You are more than welcome to attend. It would be great to see you there.
Intriguingly, while the extinct matapu New Zealand swan spent more time on land than the kakīānau black swan present today, its diet was similarly tied to freshwater & marine sources. 5/6
October 9, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Intriguingly, while the extinct matapu New Zealand swan spent more time on land than the kakīānau black swan present today, its diet was similarly tied to freshwater & marine sources. 5/6
While many species ate much the same as they do today, others – including the pārera grey duck, pūtangitangi paradise shelduck, kawau tikitiki spotted shag, & tarāpuka & tarāpunga black & red-billed gulls – showed signs of different regional diets in the past. 4/6
October 9, 2025 at 1:55 AM
While many species ate much the same as they do today, others – including the pārera grey duck, pūtangitangi paradise shelduck, kawau tikitiki spotted shag, & tarāpuka & tarāpunga black & red-billed gulls – showed signs of different regional diets in the past. 4/6
We analysed the chemical signatures of diet from ancient bird bones discovered at Harwood on the Otago Peninsula & compared these to previously published bird diets from the early Māori site of Wairau Bar in Marlborough. Spot the ancient bird bone in the picture below 3/6
October 9, 2025 at 1:55 AM
We analysed the chemical signatures of diet from ancient bird bones discovered at Harwood on the Otago Peninsula & compared these to previously published bird diets from the early Māori site of Wairau Bar in Marlborough. Spot the ancient bird bone in the picture below 3/6
A few days later, on Thurs 16th Oct 4-5pm NZ time I'll be giving an online talk with the NZ Science Learning Hub. You can register for the talk here (www.sciencelearn.org.nz/events/slh-m...) 2/2
September 30, 2025 at 10:42 PM
A few days later, on Thurs 16th Oct 4-5pm NZ time I'll be giving an online talk with the NZ Science Learning Hub. You can register for the talk here (www.sciencelearn.org.nz/events/slh-m...) 2/2
I have a double bill of public talks coming up on MythBusting de-extinction to sort fact from fiction. It will be good to see you all there. On Tues 14th Oct 11am-12.30pm NZ time I'll be giving an online talk with Genomics for Aotearoa NZ. You can register here (otago.zoom.us/webinar/regi...) 1/2
September 30, 2025 at 10:42 PM
I have a double bill of public talks coming up on MythBusting de-extinction to sort fact from fiction. It will be good to see you all there. On Tues 14th Oct 11am-12.30pm NZ time I'll be giving an online talk with Genomics for Aotearoa NZ. You can register here (otago.zoom.us/webinar/regi...) 1/2