New Zealand-Caribbean

[Geoff Read]

John Grehan:
> As an example of how backward the state of biogeographic science has become
> in New Zealand since continuation of the panbiogeographic research program
> was made impossible by NZ Science Foundation policy, the newspaper "The
> Dominion Post" (August 10, 2002) reported on the occurrence of mussels and
> corals on the Kermadec Volcanic Arc (northeast of NZ) that have close
> relatives only in the Gulf of Mexico.

1) It's a gee-whiz NEWSPAPER report John.  I have it here in front of me,
and yes, that particular paragraph doesn't make much sense to me either.  I
can only guess that  Gulf of Mexico  hydrocarbon seep faunas were
mentioned during the interview.

The studies of those seamount faunas are mostly still in the early stages.
One published report (Clark & O'Shea, 2001, "Hydrothermal vent and
seamount fauna from the southern Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand") is in
InterRidge News 10(2):14-17, a vehicle for preliminary reports. I don't see
any reference to the Gulf of Mexico or biogeographical analyses in it.

> as for 'explanation', if one is looking for current geological models as
> 'explanation' there are a variety of island arc/microcontinental plate models
> in circulation that provide a historical connection between NZ and the
> Caribbean.

2) The colonisation patterns of deep sea marine organisms with planktonic
larvae have explanations in which  land or plate geography is not usually
invoked.  Opening and closing of the seaway through the  Panama Isthmus
might be one (interesting) exception.

Cheers,

Geoff


--
  Geoff Read <g.read at niwa.co.nz>
  http://www.annelida.net/