Nuts prove Maori were first New Zealanders: 04-06-2008
A controversy which has lasted over eleven years may have been settled by the remains of 2,000 year-old nuts.
A paper in 1996 by Richard Holdaway from the University of Canterbury suggested the nuts had been chewed by rats transported in human boats 2,000 years ago, pre-dating the Maori people.
But new research has revealed that the rat bones had been incorrectly dated and were in fact only 650 years old.
Palaeontologist Trevor Worthy, who conducted the new research as well as being involved in the initial Holdaway paper, said that his team had analysed 150 tree nuts and seeds.
"The seeds that were not chewed extended in age back to 3,000 years ago, but there was no evidence of rats prior to about 650 years ago."
Worthy said today's technology gave a much more accurate reading and that the new evidence gives a much more convincing argument.
The news is significant as New Zealand faces fauna destruction from rats.
Worthy pointed out that the government should take into account that the rats have only been in the country for 650 years meaning destruction by rates are much higher than previously thought.
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