OM Friends – In Focus

A Time Travellers Guide to the Impacts of Climate Change and Humans on Prehistoric New Zealand – An Association of Friends of the Otago Museum Talk

Bring your lunch and hear from Dr Nic Rawlence, as he paints a picture of prehistoric New Zealand, and how it has changed through time.

Who were the main players, how did this ecosystem function prior to human arrival, and how did pre-human climate change affect it?

And with the arrival of humans, how was this delicate balance changed, and what can we learn for the future of our unique biodiversity?

Dr Nic Rawlence is the Director of the Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago. His research focuses on using ancient DNA to reconstruct prehistoric New Zealand, the impact of climate change and humans on this ecosystem, and how we can use this information to conserve our endangered wildlife. He is also the author of the popular Lost Worlds Vanished Lives sciblog.