A Royal Society talk taking place this Friday (February 24) will delve into the biological heritage of New Zealand’s living and extinct species.

Dr Nic Rawlence says the animals that survived the arrival of humans in our country are “only a fraction of the wide and varied menagerie that originally called these lonely isles home”.

“While we may think we know what prehistoric New Zealand looked like and how this ecosystem functioned, new ancient DNA techniques have revolutionised our understanding of this lost world.”

Nic is the director of the Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago and a senior lecturer in ancient DNA.

His research focuses on reconstructing prehistoric ecosystems; how they have been impacted by humans and climate change; and what we can learn from this. 

He uses ancient DNA, palaeontology and archaeology to solve these natural mysteries, and enjoys communicating this research to the public.

At Friday’s talk Nic will share his lab’s latest research and the discoveries which have been made which are helping him to reconstruct prehistoric New Zealand.

Nic’s talk, ‘From Brobdingnagians to Lilliputians: Reconstructing Prehistoric New Zealand’, will take place this Friday (February 24) at the Presbyterian Community Centre, 94 Tenby Street.

Entry $5 per adult on the door; students can attend free.

PHOTO: Supplied