Hello.
I’m curious if it is possible to ascertain the difference (if any!) between pre-human occupation NZ dermestid beetles and those introduced by Polynesian and European settlement of NZ?
Many thanks Fiona
The best guide would be the species’ global ranges.
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Pre-human species will most likely be NZ endemics, having been isolated long enough to evolve and radiate.
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Polynesian introductions will be found in various Polynesian archipelagoes, since they would have been with the voyagers on each leg of their voyages.
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European introductions might be trickier, because they might have originated in Europe, or from former colonies, or have been so spread around as to be now pantropical or global.
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