Neozealandia
Encyclopedia
Neozealandia is a biogeographic province of the Antarctic Realm according to the classification developed by Miklos Udvardy
in 1975. The province consists primarily of the major islands of New Zealand
, including North Island
and South Island
, as well as Chatham Island. The southernmost areas of Neozealandia overlap with the Insulantarctica
province, which includes the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
. Both New Zealand and the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands are remnants of a submerged subcontinent
known as Zealandia
, which gradually submerged itself beneath the sea after breaking off from the Gondwanan land masses of Antarctica and Australia
. Due to isolation, the entire Zealandia archipelago
has remained virtually free of mammal
s (except for bat
s and a few others) and invasive
alien species. Since only very few mammals and other alien species have actually colonized the islands of the Neozealandia province over the millions of years, the flora
and fauna
on most of the islands, including those of New Zealand itself, have remained almost exactly the same as they were when the original Gondwana supercontinent
existed.. A couple of tuatara
species survive in small numbers on small islets adjacent to New Zealand. Also, New Zealand has vestiges of ancient temperate rain forest
s with plant species, such as giant club mosses, tree ferns and Nothofagus
trees, dating from the time when the Zealandia subcontinent split off from Gondwana. New Zealand grasslands are dominated by vast spreadings of tussock grass fed upon by the native
ground parrots. Most of New Zealand's few mammals are like those frequenting Antarctic shores.
Miklos Udvardy
Miklos Dezso Ferenc Udvardy was a biologist and biogeographer. He was born on March 23, 1919 in Debrecen, Hungary to Miklos Udvardy and Elizabeth Komlossy. Despite an early interest in birds, his father encouraged him to study law, but later went on to earn a doctorate in biology from the...
in 1975. The province consists primarily of the major islands of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, including North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
and South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, as well as Chatham Island. The southernmost areas of Neozealandia overlap with the Insulantarctica
Insulantarctica
Insulantarctica is a biogeographic province of the Antarctic Realm according to the classification developed by Miklos Udvardy in 1975. It comprises scattered islands of the Southern Ocean, which show clear affinity to each other. These islands belong to different countries...
province, which includes the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
New Zealand sub-antarctic islands
The five southernmost groups of the New Zealand Outlying Islands form the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands. These islands are collectively designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site....
. Both New Zealand and the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands are remnants of a submerged subcontinent
Subcontinent
A subcontinent is a large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent. By dictionary entries, the term subcontinent signifies "having a certain geographical or political independence" from the rest of the continent, or "a vast and more or less self-contained subdivision...
known as Zealandia
Zealandia
SS Zealandia, nicknamed Z was a historically significant Australian cargo and passenger ship. It served as a troopship in both World War I and World War II. Zealandia transported the ill-fated Australian 8th Division. Its crew were the last Allied personnel to see HMAS Sydney, which was lost with...
, which gradually submerged itself beneath the sea after breaking off from the Gondwanan land masses of Antarctica and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Due to isolation, the entire Zealandia archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
has remained virtually free of mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s (except for bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s and a few others) and invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
alien species. Since only very few mammals and other alien species have actually colonized the islands of the Neozealandia province over the millions of years, the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
on most of the islands, including those of New Zealand itself, have remained almost exactly the same as they were when the original Gondwana supercontinent
Supercontinent
In geology, a supercontinent is a landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton. The assembly of cratons and accreted terranes that form Eurasia qualifies as a supercontinent today.-History:...
existed.. A couple of tuatara
Tuatara
The tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...
species survive in small numbers on small islets adjacent to New Zealand. Also, New Zealand has vestiges of ancient temperate rain forest
Temperate rain forest
Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive high rainfall.-Definition:For temperate rain forests of North America, Alaback's definition is widely recognized:-Global distribution:...
s with plant species, such as giant club mosses, tree ferns and Nothofagus
Nothofagus
Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 35 species of trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic to tropical Southern Hemisphere in southern South America and Australasia...
trees, dating from the time when the Zealandia subcontinent split off from Gondwana. New Zealand grasslands are dominated by vast spreadings of tussock grass fed upon by the native
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
ground parrots. Most of New Zealand's few mammals are like those frequenting Antarctic shores.