Using molecular methods to understand the Gondwanan affinities of the New Zealand biota: three case studies

The application of new molecular technologies is central to the search for causal mechanisms capable of explaining the modern-day biogeography of the southern continents. Projects have previously focused on marine mammals and birds, but in recent years they have begun to expand in scope. We now desc ribe the results from three studies carried out recently on parakeets (genu s Cyanoramphus), cicadas (genus Maoricicada) and geckos (genera Hoplodactyl us and Naultinus) in the context of the Gondwanan affinities of the New Zea land biota. The work described here has been the subject of independent rep orts (see text for individual references) and their findings have been brou ght together for the first time here in a more general synthesis.