World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Environmental Sciences

D-Index
36
Citations
6258
World Ranking
9095
National Ranking
52

Overview

Richard N. Holdaway is affiliated with the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Their scholarly work spans multiple fields, including social sciences, environmental science, and earth and planetary sciences. The scientist's research contributions include subfields such as ecology, geography, planning and development, paleontology, atmospheric science, and anthropology.

Their research topics cover a broad spectrum, highlighted by areas such as:

  • Pacific and Southeast Asian studies
  • Geology and paleoclimatology research
  • Pleistocene-era hominins and archaeology
  • Wildlife ecology and conservation
  • Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
  • Isotope analysis in ecology
  • Evolution and paleontology studies

Richard N. Holdaway has published extensively in several venues. The primary publication outlet is Notornis with thirteen papers. Other venues include bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), PLoS ONE, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, and Oxford Open Climate Change.

Notable recent papers authored or co-authored by Richard N. Holdaway include:

  • "When the lonely goose? Implications of a revised history of the lake and its surrounding vegetation for a radiocarbon age for the only South Island goose (Cnemiornis calcitrans) from the Pyramid Valley lake bed deposit, New Zealand" (2022), published in Notornis
  • "Palaeoecological reconstructions depend on accurate species identification: examples from South Island, New Zealand, Pachyornis (Aves: Dinornithiformes)" (2020), published in Notornis
  • "Radiocarbon ages for kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) (Strigopidae: Strigopinae) from the Pyramid Valley lake bed deposit, north-eastern South Island, New Zealand" (2021), published in Notornis
  • "Genomic insights into the evolutionary relationships and demographic history of kiwi" (2022), published in bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • "Genomic insights into the evolutionary relationships and demographic history of kiwi" (2022), published in PLoS ONE

Frequent collaborators in their research include:

  • Brendan Duffy
  • Michael V. Westbury
  • Binia De Cahsan
  • Lara D. Shepherd
  • David A. Duchêne

Best Publications

  • The half-life of DNA in bone: measuring decay kinetics in 158 dated fossils

    Morten E. Allentoft;Morten E. Allentoft;Morten E. Allentoft;Matthew Collins;David Harker;James Haile

  • The Lost World of the Moa: Prehistoric Life of New Zealand

    Trevor H. Worthy;Richard N. Holdaway;Rod Morris

  • Rapid extinction of the moas (Aves: Dinornithiformes): model, test, and implications.

    R. N. Holdaway;C. Jacomb

  • A working list of breeding bird species of the New Zealand region at first human contact

    Richard N. Holdaway;Trevor H. Worthy;Alan J. D. Tennyson

  • New Zealand's pre-human avifauna and its vulnerability

    R. N. Holdaway

  • Ancient DNA chronology within sediment deposits: are paleobiological reconstructions possible and is DNA leaching a factor?

    James Haile;Richard Holdaway;Karen Oliver;Michael Bunce

  • The evolutionary history of the extinct ratite moa and New Zealand Neogene paleogeography

    M. Bunce;T. H. Worthy;Matthew J. Phillips;R. N. Holdaway

  • Introduced Predators and Avifaunal Extinction in New Zealand

    Richard N. Holdaway

  • Arrival of rats in New Zealand

    R. N. Holdaway

  • Fossil avian eggshell preserves ancient DNA

    Charlotte L. Oskam;James Haile;James Haile;Emma McLay;Paul Rigby

  • Non-destructive sampling of ancient insect DNA.

    Philip Francis Thomsen;Scott Elias;M. Thomas P. Gilbert;James Haile

  • Straight as an arrow: humpback whales swim constant course tracks during long-distance migration.

    Travis W. Horton;Richard N. Holdaway;Alexandre N. Zerbini;Nan Hauser

  • Ancient DNA provides new insights into the evolutionary history of New Zealand's extinct giant eagle.

    Michael Bunce;Marta Szulkin;Heather R. L Lerner;Ian Barnes

  • Identification of microsatellites from an extinct moa species using high-throughput (454) sequence data

    Morten E. Allentoft;Stephan C. Schuster;Richard N. Holdaway;Marie L. Hale

  • Extinct New Zealand megafauna were not in decline before human colonization

    M.E. Allentoft;M.E. Allentoft;M.E. Allentoft;R. Heller;R. Heller;C.L. Oskam;E.D. Lorenzen;E.D. Lorenzen

  • Cortical growth marks reveal extended juvenile development in New Zealand moa

    Samuel T. Turvey;Samuel T. Turvey;Owen R. Green;Richard N. Holdaway

  • Quaternary fossil faunas, overlapping taphonomies, and palaeofaunal reconstruction in North Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand

    T. H. Worthy;R. N. Holdaway

  • Quaternary fossil faunas from caves in Takaka Valley and on Takaka Hill, northwest Nelson, South Island, New Zealand

    T. H. Worthy;R.N. Holdaway

  • Quaternary fossil faunas from caves in the Punakaiki area, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand

    T. H. Worthy;R. N. Holdaway

  • A spatio‐temporal model for the invasion of the New Zealand archipelago by the Pacific rat Rattus exulans

    Richard N. Holdaway

Frequent Co-Authors

Michael Bunce
Michael Bunce Curtin University
Trevor H. Worthy
Trevor H. Worthy Flinders University
James Haile
James Haile Murdoch University
Eske Willerslev
Eske Willerslev University of Copenhagen
M. Thomas P. Gilbert
M. Thomas P. Gilbert University of Copenhagen
Beth Shapiro
Beth Shapiro University of California, Santa Cruz
Alexandre N. Zerbini
Alexandre N. Zerbini National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Alan Cooper
Alan Cooper Charles Sturt University
Ben Kennedy
Ben Kennedy University of Canterbury
Samuel T. Turvey
Samuel T. Turvey Zoological Society of London

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For those interested in Environmental Sciences, expanding your knowledge through related online degrees can open diverse career pathways. Many students seek affordable education options; programs listed under online general studies bachelor degree cheap are ideal for those balancing budgets with quality learning. These degrees provide foundational skills applicable across many environmental fields.

If you are looking for programs that balance workload and career relevance, some of the easy bachelor's degree options can help accelerate graduation while still positioning you well for the workforce. These degrees often emphasize flexible learning formats, perfect for working professionals.

Specializing in geology is a natural fit for many environmental science students. Pursuing an online geology degree offers deep insight into earth systems, minerals, and climate impact—critical knowledge for sustainable environmental management careers.

Another growing field is Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which supports environmental decision-making through spatial data. Explore top programs through the best gis programs. Mastery of GIS tools can dramatically enhance job prospects in conservation, urban planning, and resource management.

Best Scientists Citing Richard N. Holdaway

Trending Scientists