The Lonely Islands

From kiwi to tree fern, and wētā to tuatara, The Lonely Islands by Terry Thomsen, is the story of how animal and plant life came to New Zealand and how they have evolved. It presents a historical perspective on a range of debates and events that changed accepted thinking. Fossil and sub-fossil discoveries, the acceptance of plate tectonic theory, and the advent of DNA analysis all influenced what we now know about the origins and evolution of New Zealand’s life. 

Thomsen’s extensive research has resulted in a fascinating and engaging broad narrative of the pre-human history of the islands. Events in New Zealand are discussed in the context of geological and evolutionary events across the wider world, and how they influenced what organisms arrived in New Zealand and how they survived. Tectonic plate movements, climate change, the end-Cretaceous asteroid impact and the evolution of groups such as flowering plants and birds all had far-reaching impacts. Within these themes, the book explores a wide breadth of life in New Zealand. The subject matter ranges from high-profile organisms such as moa, tuatara and southern beech, to often-neglected creatures such as freshwater fish, pelagic seabirds and soil invertebrates.