Zoology collection
The mission of the Department of Zoology is to provide an environment, open to all sections of the community, for the extension, sharing and application of knowledge in zoology, through research and teaching of the highest international standard.
The Department of Zoology is distinctive internationally for its focus on whole organism biology (it is one of the few departments of zoology in universities throughout the world). Our staff have international reputations in their areas of expertise and make major contributions to answering fundamental questions in basic and applied research.
For further information go to the Department of Zoology.
Recent Deposits
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Impacts of an eye invading parasite on the behaviour and ecology of its freshwater fish host
Parasites are increasingly shown to impact ecosystem processes such as population dynamics and food web interactions. This can be accomplished by altering the host’s behaviour as a side-effect of infection, a response of ... -
The response and recovery of benthic macroinvertebrates from water abstractions along the Manuherikia River, New Zealand
Water abstraction for irrigation during seasonal low discharge periods alters the natural flow regime of a river. The response of macroinvertebrates to a significantly altered flow regime due to summer water abstraction ... -
Call Me Loyal: Investigation of Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) Flower Constancy in a Semi-Field Environment
Flower constancy (the tendency of pollinators to restrict visits to one floral species) provides obvious benefits to plants, however, the benefits to pollinators remain unclear. For example, specialisation to a single ... -
Effects of interspecific interactions on individual specialisation
In many species, some individuals are specialist users of a subset of the total resources available to their population, a phenomenon known as individual specialisation. This intraspecific variation has long been suspected ... -
Predicting Possums: Modelling reinvasion of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) within a New Zealand urban centre
Invasive mammalian pests threaten biodiversity globally across a diverse range of habitats. Recent interest in urban biodiversity enhancement has increased the need for effective urban pest control, however efforts are ... -
The effects of food rationing on phenotypic plasticity in reproductive resource allocation in female wild-type zebrafish, Danio rerio
Any resources obtained by an organism must be divided between life history components, namely growth, reproduction and survival. Resources are limited, thus creating trade-offs between competing traits. One trade-off is ... -
Lizards at elevation: thermal ecology and emergence activity of alpine lizards in Otago
The alpine zone is a rugged habitat that is difficult for any species to inhabit year-round. Many that do so are large mammals with specific behavioural or physiological adaptations that enhance survival in these high-elevation ... -
Using Stable Isotope Analysis to study the diet of stoats (Mustela erminea) in the alpine zone of New Zealand
Threats posed by alien invasive species are a leading cause of global biodiversity decline. In island archipelagos such as New Zealand, introduced mammalian predators prey heavily on endemic fauna that have evolved without ... -
Nesting ecology and behaviour of tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) at Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary
Understanding the ecology of reproductive behaviours is an essential aspect in studying an animal species. Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), once widespread across New Zealand, have become severely restricted in distribution ... -
Some aspects of the ecology of non-native Brook Charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) in headwater streams of Otago, New Zealand
Humans have been altering their environment for thousands of years both intentionally and unintentionally. The alteration of freshwater ecosystems has been extensive through the transfer of species across natural barriers ... -
Insecticide contamination of streams in a warming climate
Feeding a growing global population in the context of a changing climate will bring challenges for food producers and environmental managers seeking to mitigate the impact of intensifying agricultural practices. The control ... -
Finding a Home. An Ecological and Economic Framework for Selecting Species Translocation Sites
The main objective of my thesis research was to improve our understanding of release site selection for conservation translocations, in particular how to identify quality habitat. To achieve this task, I developed four ... -
Marine ecology of offshore and inshore foraging penguins : the Snares penguin Eudyptes robustus and Yellow-eyed penguin Megadyptes antipodes
Seabirds have become adapted for foraging in an oceanic environment that can be highly dynamic. Oceanographic processes determine the spatial distribution of seabird prey, while seasonality often has a temporal influence ... -
Factors driving life-histories in brown trout Salmo trutta exhibiting partial migration behaviours
The behaviors of some partially migratory salmonids, at both the among- and within-species levels, can be established early - on during their respective lives. For those species that have a plastic early life history in ... -
The effects of the freshwater mussel Hyridella menziesi on the phytoplankton of a shallow Otago lake
Summary 1. Biomass, filtration rate and rhythmic activity data for Hyridella menziesi in Lake Tuakitoto were combined to calculate the filtration capability of this population. It was calculated that this population filters ... -
Nesting ecology and behaviour of tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) at Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary
Understanding the ecology of reproductive behaviours is an essential aspect in studying an animal species. Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), once widespread across New Zealand, have become severely restricted in distribution ... -
Behaviour of Foraging Bumble Bees Across Morphological and Environmental Contexts
Bumble bees as pollinators are being produced at an industrial scale and are used throughout the world to pollinate agricultural crops in glasshouses. The agricultural crops they are exposed to are often monocultural and ... -
Impact of sedimentation on the survival and availability of spawning grounds for brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) in the Central Otago streams
In the past few decades, rapid agriculturalization and urbanization have caused a massive increase in sediment concentrations within streams all over the world. This represents a potential threat to aquatic organisms. ... -
Stream rehabilitation within agricultural riverscapes
Modern agriculture is necessary to feed our growing global population, yet agriculture is also the most extensive cause of freshwater ecosystem degradation. Accordingly, determining how to maintain or improve freshwater ... -
Fire and ice: Genomic insights into the evolution, biogeography and extinction of modern penguins
Islands of the vast Southern Ocean host abundant endemic wildlife populations representing important breeding grounds for many seabirds. With contrasting geological, glacial and human-impact histories, these islands represent ...