The origin and phylogenetic relationships of the New Zealand ravens

• Our phylogenetic analyses supports the monophyly of the New Zealand ravens.
• New Zealand ravens likely arrived in New Zealand as recently as the late Pliocene.
• The distribution of remains of this species and ecological niche modelling suggests coastal habitats during the Holocene.
• Unique features of the skull compared to other species of Corvus imply a unique dietary specialisation.
• Our genetic analysis only support a single species with one or two subspecies, as opposed to the currently recognised two species and two subspecies.