Biodiversity of New Zealand fishes
The main aim of our project is to carry out biosystematic investigations on New Zealand EEZ/ECS fishes in order to facilitate their accurate identification.
Natural History research: What we do
Find out about the research lines and main projects our team is currently working on.
Conservation of rare and threatened plants
Documenting the pollination biology of threatened plants and trees, identifying orchid mycorrhizal partners and implementing methods to propagate orchids from seed for conservation purposes.
Describing and classifying native forget-me-nots
Completing a taxonomic revision of all southern hemisphere forget-me-not species, including about 45 described species and c. 20 informal tag-named species.
Describing the New Zealand orchid flora
Using data from herbarium specimens, field collections and DNA analyses to investigate the taxonomic status of orchids in five genera.
Diversity and evolution of New Zealand’s marine mammals
Studying fossils and living marine mammals to elucidate their diversity and evolution through deep time.
Electronic Flora of New Zealand: ferns and lycophytes
Producing an online resource documenting and illustrating the indigenous and naturalised plants of the New Zealand Botanical Region.
Endemic fungus gnats
Creating a revised key of fungus gnats, one of the biggest Diptera groups in New Zealand, including species descriptions and using image material.
History and origins of New Zealand’s vertebrates
Research examining fossils, using anatomical observations and DNA, to investigate the evolution of Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique vertebrate fauna.
Marine mammal function and behaviour
Studying the diversity, function and evolution of marine mammal behaviour, from feeding to swimming and communication.
New Zealand arachnids
Concentrating on two arachnid orders and documenting new species, to better understand known species, and to explore the evolutionary history of these fascinating animals.
New Zealand and Pacific ferns: taxonomy and relationships
Improving the understanding of the floras adjacent to New Zealand in the south-west Pacific region, involving the delimitation, naming, distributions, and relationships of species.
Relationships and naming of New Zealand flowering plants
Using genetics to understand the relationships of the following flowering plant genera in New Zealand: Aciphylla, Alseuosmia, Juncus, Pseudopanax, Schoenus and Sophora.
Seabird conservation
Using field surveys and literature reviews, we are researching the distributions and conservation status of New Zealand’s seabirds.
Project: Using genetic data to understand past human interactions with biodiversity
This research uses genetic techniques to provide insight into Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural past, providing new knowledge on interactions between Māori iwi by determining the translocation pathways of cultivated plant species.
Whole-genome duplication in plants: what is the pathway to success?
Integrating novel and published data on chromosome number, genome size, phylogenetics, environmental factors, and common garden experiments for several study genera.
Meet the Natural History team
Find out about the people that make up our Natural History team and their roles at Te Papa.
Read blog posts from our Natural History team
Discover stories from Te Papa’s Natural History experts, including curators, scientists, collection managers, and technicians.
