The document discusses key geological events and biological factors that have shaped New Zealand's flora and fauna over time. Some important events included the breakup of Gondwana starting in the Jurassic period, the mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary 65 million years ago, and New Zealand losing its connection to Australia in the Paleocene era 60 million years ago. Biological adaptations among New Zealand's plants and animals were influenced by a long period of isolation, lack of mammalian predators and competitors, and climatic changes from glacial to interglacial periods. Traits like flightlessness, gigantism, and pollinator relationships emerged in the unique evolutionary environment.

2. Known as K/T boundary 206 Jurassic 144 Cretaceous Mesozoic 65 Paleocene 57 Eocene 35 Oligocene 23 Miocene 5 Pliocene Tertiary 0.01 1.8 Recent Pleistocene Quaternary Cenozoic Age (millions of years) Periods Epochs Eras

5. New Zealand’s flora and fauna (biota) are a mixture of vicariant and dispersed types.

7. Significant Events in NZ’s Geological History These specific occurrences have made NZ the unique place it is.

15. Biological Factors that have shaped NZ’s Flora and Fauna.

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