title: Phylogenetic relationships of the New Zealand Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) inferred from ITS sequences of rDNA

authors: Hathaway, Louise Angela

abstract: Sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA was collected from almost all of the New Zealand Pittosporum species, as well as representatives from other areas and- other genera within the Pittosporaceae and the outgroup Pseudopanax discolor. The variation in this region was used to examine the phylogenetic relationships of these species. 
The New Zealand Pittosporum taxa did not form a monophyletic group, instead they were found in two distinct clades. One clade contained P. cornifolium, P. pimeleoides subsp. pimeleoides and P. pimeleoides subsp. maius. All other taxa formed a second monophyletic group. 

The clade comprised of P. cornifolium and the two P. pimeleoides taxa appears to be a result of a dispersal event from New Caledonia. There is no clear indication of the ancestral source for the clade containing the rest of the New Zealand species. Pittosporum bracteolatum from Norfolk Island was found either within the main New Zealand clade, or as the sister group to it giving rise to the possibility that the main New Zealand clade and P. bracteolatum share a common Australian ancestor. 

Both of the New Zealand radiations appear to be relatively recent events. The sequences of P. comifolium and the two P. pimeleoides taxa are identical. The level of sequence differentiation within the main New Zealand clade . is also relatively low, especially when compared to the New Caledonian and Australian Pittosporum taxa. A nucleotide substitution rate of approximately 1 bp per million years gives an age of around 22 million years for the main New Zealand radiation, which is consistent the fossil record. 

The results of this study does not support previous hypothesises on relationships within the New Zealand Pittosporum based on morphology. The bivalved and trivalved species do not form monophyletic groups. Within the main New Zealand clade bivalve is ancestral and trivalve capsules have evolved twice. The species with a papery endocarp, the small leaved bivalved species and the species thought to represent a closely related group showing a reduction in size do not form monophyletic groups, and are spread out throughout the New Zealand species. 

The identical sequences found in Pittosporum cornifolium and P. pimeleoides, which was unexpected as these species have never been grouped based on morphology. Identical ITS sequences found in P. pimeleoides subsp. pimeleoides and P. pimeleoides subsp. maius and in P. tenuifolium subsp. tenuifolium and P. tenuifolium subsp. colensoi, and their similar morphology, supports their classification as subspecies. Pittosporum rigidum 1, P. turneri and P. anomalum had identical ITS sequences, but due to their distinct morphological difference, should retain their specific status. Two individuals of P. rigidum· were sequenced and differed by one nucleotide. Based on this the South Island, smaller leaved individuals currently called P. rigidum may need to reinstated as P. crassicaule. The Pittosporum taxon found on Kermadec Islands identified as P. crassifolium, was most closely related to P. fairchildii. 
Pittosporum bracteolatum from Norfolk Island is closely related to the New Zealand species, however its placement in relation to the New Zealand species varies. Four of the New Caledonian species form a distinct clade, with the fifth having no real indication of if its relationships to the other species. The Pacific species formed two clades, one appearing to be the result of a dispersal from Australia and the other from New Caledonia. Citriobatus was consistently found within the Pittosporum. 

Character mapping indicates that both heteroblasty and the divaricating habit have each evolved at least three times independently in the New Zealand species. The darker flower colour is the more derived character in the New Zealand Pittosporum. 

Because of the low level of sequence variation between most of the New Zealand taxa many relationships were unresolved. Hopefully future studies using a faster evolving marker and morphological characters will clarify these relationships.

text: Phylogenetic relationships of the New Zealand Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) inferred from ITS sequences of rDNA Sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA was collected from almost all of the New Zealand Pittosporum species, as well as representatives from other areas and- other genera within the Pittosporaceae and the outgroup Pseudopanax discolor. The variation in this region was used to examine the phylogenetic relationships of these species. 
The New Zealand Pittosporum taxa did not form a monophyletic group, instead they were found in two distinct clades. One clade contained P. cornifolium, P. pimeleoides subsp. pimeleoides and P. pimeleoides subsp. maius. All other taxa formed a second monophyletic group. 

The clade comprised of P. cornifolium and the two P. pimeleoides taxa appears to be a result of a dispersal event from New Caledonia. There is no clear indication of the ancestral source for the clade containing the rest of the New Zealand species. Pittosporum bracteolatum from Norfolk Island was found either within the main New Zealand clade, or as the sister group to it giving rise to the possibility that the main New Zealand clade and P. bracteolatum share a common Australian ancestor. 

Both of the New Zealand radiations appear to be relatively recent events. The sequences of P. comifolium and the two P. pimeleoides taxa are identical. The level of sequence differentiation within the main New Zealand clade . is also relatively low, especially when compared to the New Caledonian and Australian Pittosporum taxa. A nucleotide substitution rate of approximately 1 bp per million years gives an age of around 22 million years for the main New Zealand radiation, which is consistent the fossil record. 

The results of this study does not support previous hypothesises on relationships within the New Zealand Pittosporum based on morphology. The bivalved and trivalved species do not form monophyletic groups. Within the main New Zealand clade bivalve is ancestral and trivalve capsules have evolved twice. The species with a papery endocarp, the small leaved bivalved species and the species thought to represent a closely related group showing a reduction in size do not form monophyletic groups, and are spread out throughout the New Zealand species. 

The identical sequences found in Pittosporum cornifolium and P. pimeleoides, which was unexpected as these species have never been grouped based on morphology. Identical ITS sequences found in P. pimeleoides subsp. pimeleoides and P. pimeleoides subsp. maius and in P. tenuifolium subsp. tenuifolium and P. tenuifolium subsp. colensoi, and their similar morphology, supports their classification as subspecies. Pittosporum rigidum 1, P. turneri and P. anomalum had identical ITS sequences, but due to their distinct morphological difference, should retain their specific status. Two individuals of P. rigidum· were sequenced and differed by one nucleotide. Based on this the South Island, smaller leaved individuals currently called P. rigidum may need to reinstated as P. crassicaule. The Pittosporum taxon found on Kermadec Islands identified as P. crassifolium, was most closely related to P. fairchildii. 
Pittosporum bracteolatum from Norfolk Island is closely related to the New Zealand species, however its placement in relation to the New Zealand species varies. Four of the New Caledonian species form a distinct clade, with the fifth having no real indication of if its relationships to the other species. The Pacific species formed two clades, one appearing to be the result of a dispersal from Australia and the other from New Caledonia. Citriobatus was consistently found within the Pittosporum. 

Character mapping indicates that both heteroblasty and the divaricating habit have each evolved at least three times independently in the New Zealand species. The darker flower colour is the more derived character in the New Zealand Pittosporum. 

Because of the low level of sequence variation between most of the New Zealand taxa many relationships were unresolved. Hopefully future studies using a faster evolving marker and morphological characters will clarify these relationships.

year: 2001

title: It’s a sign: From nocturnal kiwi to daytime heroes - The power of design in shaping conservation behaviour

authors: Fick-Swann, Skye

subjects: antecedent intervention

abstract: Interpretive signage is widely used in zoos and aquariums to support conservation education, yet evidence of its behavioural effectiveness remains inconsistent. I examined whether a poster designed using Big Hero Visualisation (BHV) principles functioned as an effective antecedent stimulus to increase recall of the five kiwi species. A between-subjects online experiment presented participants with existing National Aquarium exhibition signage, with the BHV kiwi poster included as an additional antecedent stimulus for the experimental condition only. The control condition viewed the same materials without the BHV poster prior to recall assessment. Participants also completed the Value Orientation Scale (VOS) and the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale to explore whether self-reported environmental value orientations predicted recall or interacted with the signage condition. The logistic regression indicated that participants who viewed the BHV poster were more likely to recall the correct number of kiwi species compared to the control condition. None of the VOS or NEP subscales, nor their interactions with condition, were associated with recall accuracy. The study provides applied evidence that antecedent manipulations in visual design may influence immediate recall of conservation information. However, the online format likely increased attending relative to naturalistic settings, and I measured only immediate recall rather than broader behavioural outcomes. Future research should investigate how BHV elements perform amongst real-world competing stimuli and whether specific design components are more effective antecedent features. Overall, the results support continued evaluation of interpretive design as a low-cost behavioural intervention for improving conservation-related learning.

text: It’s a sign: From nocturnal kiwi to daytime heroes - The power of design in shaping conservation behaviour Interpretive signage is widely used in zoos and aquariums to support conservation education, yet evidence of its behavioural effectiveness remains inconsistent. I examined whether a poster designed using Big Hero Visualisation (BHV) principles functioned as an effective antecedent stimulus to increase recall of the five kiwi species. A between-subjects online experiment presented participants with existing National Aquarium exhibition signage, with the BHV kiwi poster included as an additional antecedent stimulus for the experimental condition only. The control condition viewed the same materials without the BHV poster prior to recall assessment. Participants also completed the Value Orientation Scale (VOS) and the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale to explore whether self-reported environmental value orientations predicted recall or interacted with the signage condition. The logistic regression indicated that participants who viewed the BHV poster were more likely to recall the correct number of kiwi species compared to the control condition. None of the VOS or NEP subscales, nor their interactions with condition, were associated with recall accuracy. The study provides applied evidence that antecedent manipulations in visual design may influence immediate recall of conservation information. However, the online format likely increased attending relative to naturalistic settings, and I measured only immediate recall rather than broader behavioural outcomes. Future research should investigate how BHV elements perform amongst real-world competing stimuli and whether specific design components are more effective antecedent features. Overall, the results support continued evaluation of interpretive design as a low-cost behavioural intervention for improving conservation-related learning.

year: 2025

title: Re-presenting Māori and Indigenous understandings of Being: Deconstructing the notion of mental illness

authors: Southey, Kim Marie

subjects: Maori

abstract: This thesis examines metaphysics in order to re-present Māori and indigenous understandings of Being and deconstruct the notion of mental illness.  A holistic understanding of Being is crucial to Māori and indigenous worldviews and takes priority as a focus for this thesis. Holistic notions of Being allow indigenous peoples to reimagine potentiality in general and the possibility of a renewed experience of being-in-the-world more specifically. Through an exploration of Māori and indigenous (complex) holism, I seek to re-turn to the influence of things in the world that exist outside of the self-contained individual - that is, beyond the cognitive rational agent.  Doing so shifts the concept of well-being to reside not simply within the person (or the individual’s reactions), but within the entire world in which we live.  

It is posited that a dominant Western metaphysics poses a fundamental risk to Māori and indigenous expressions of Being.  This deeper layer of influence – the metaphysics of presence - is examined to expose its structure – one that insists that things in the world will be represented as fully discernible objects.  The implications that a dominant Western metaphysics has for the notion of mental illness are explored within the context of the metaphysics of presence that sets up things in the world as Beings whose essential meaning is identified only through qualities that can be seen, measured, described and defined.  Within this view of the world, the notion of mental illness is solidified, reflected in a focus on the most discernible aspects of Being – the observable and physical parts of a person that can be examined through science.  To counter this, the more mysterious and unthinkable aspects of Being reflected in Māori and indigenous metaphysics are highlighted as a way of re-turning to holism, to the extent that they resist the expectation that things in the world will be reduced to fit the dominant (metaphysical) framework.  

I engage the relational holistic research approach of whaiwhakaaro (a non-method implicating the more-than-human entities that push thinking and characterised by a free-flowing style of reflection), to draw out the possibilities that exist for re-presenting Māori and indigenous metaphysics and the notion of mental illness.  Eleven interviews were conducted with participants from varying professional and community-based backgrounds.  While the participants represent different views on metaphysics and mental illness, each has a passion for exploring the philosophies that shape the experience of being-in-the-world and how we understand ourselves in relation to all other things.  Their responses provide important signals for how human nature, more-than-human nature, and (mental) well-being are re-conceptualised.  

The main ideas that emerged through the interviews and the process of reflecting on participant responses (whaiwhakaaro) provoked thinking about the possibilities of holism in reconsidering the notion of mental illness.  Māori and indigenous understandings of Being were used to re-turn to ideas of well-being as a collective experience. I posit that, if there is illness, then it resides in the world rather than being centred solely on the individual who experiences the world.  If there is a way to talk about illness and well-being, then it need not be restricted to assigned concepts or pre-determined categories that explain behaviour.  Through a re-turn to complex holism – to Māori and indigenous metaphysical premises – I suggest we can engage with people’s experiences on different terms.  These are the terms that carry excessive meaning, that allow for mystery – to break from conventions and categories. These terms support a different view of individualism where the person is free to express their experience of thorough interconnection – of whakapapa.  In its broadest sense, the re-turn to holism is an understanding of the self as part of a thoroughly connected whole.

text: Re-presenting Māori and Indigenous understandings of Being: Deconstructing the notion of mental illness This thesis examines metaphysics in order to re-present Māori and indigenous understandings of Being and deconstruct the notion of mental illness.  A holistic understanding of Being is crucial to Māori and indigenous worldviews and takes priority as a focus for this thesis. Holistic notions of Being allow indigenous peoples to reimagine potentiality in general and the possibility of a renewed experience of being-in-the-world more specifically. Through an exploration of Māori and indigenous (complex) holism, I seek to re-turn to the influence of things in the world that exist outside of the self-contained individual - that is, beyond the cognitive rational agent.  Doing so shifts the concept of well-being to reside not simply within the person (or the individual’s reactions), but within the entire world in which we live.  

It is posited that a dominant Western metaphysics poses a fundamental risk to Māori and indigenous expressions of Being.  This deeper layer of influence – the metaphysics of presence - is examined to expose its structure – one that insists that things in the world will be represented as fully discernible objects.  The implications that a dominant Western metaphysics has for the notion of mental illness are explored within the context of the metaphysics of presence that sets up things in the world as Beings whose essential meaning is identified only through qualities that can be seen, measured, described and defined.  Within this view of the world, the notion of mental illness is solidified, reflected in a focus on the most discernible aspects of Being – the observable and physical parts of a person that can be examined through science.  To counter this, the more mysterious and unthinkable aspects of Being reflected in Māori and indigenous metaphysics are highlighted as a way of re-turning to holism, to the extent that they resist the expectation that things in the world will be reduced to fit the dominant (metaphysical) framework.  

I engage the relational holistic research approach of whaiwhakaaro (a non-method implicating the more-than-human entities that push thinking and characterised by a free-flowing style of reflection), to draw out the possibilities that exist for re-presenting Māori and indigenous metaphysics and the notion of mental illness.  Eleven interviews were conducted with participants from varying professional and community-based backgrounds.  While the participants represent different views on metaphysics and mental illness, each has a passion for exploring the philosophies that shape the experience of being-in-the-world and how we understand ourselves in relation to all other things.  Their responses provide important signals for how human nature, more-than-human nature, and (mental) well-being are re-conceptualised.  

The main ideas that emerged through the interviews and the process of reflecting on participant responses (whaiwhakaaro) provoked thinking about the possibilities of holism in reconsidering the notion of mental illness.  Māori and indigenous understandings of Being were used to re-turn to ideas of well-being as a collective experience. I posit that, if there is illness, then it resides in the world rather than being centred solely on the individual who experiences the world.  If there is a way to talk about illness and well-being, then it need not be restricted to assigned concepts or pre-determined categories that explain behaviour.  Through a re-turn to complex holism – to Māori and indigenous metaphysical premises – I suggest we can engage with people’s experiences on different terms.  These are the terms that carry excessive meaning, that allow for mystery – to break from conventions and categories. These terms support a different view of individualism where the person is free to express their experience of thorough interconnection – of whakapapa.  In its broadest sense, the re-turn to holism is an understanding of the self as part of a thoroughly connected whole.

year: 2020