Does that mean the liverworts evolved in New Zealand first?
No. I suspect ours were isolated early, so did not have competition with higher evolved ones and therefore havent changed much. Kauri and the podocarps, are theoretically not supposed to be as competitive as the angiosperms, the flowering plants, but they are still here, how is this so? Just their sheer size and longevity give them some sort of advantage over the shorter-lived angiosperms. When they establish they are likely to hold the site for centuries. The podocarps (e.g. rimu) with their small fleshy fruit are well dispersed as is kauri with its wind-dispersed seed. Therefore these conifers can frequently establish on disturbed sites early and hold them for a long time. Kauri has a competitive edge in poor soils, e.g. it often grows on exposed ridges. This isnt because kauri prefers poor soils, but because it has a competitive edge on these sites. Kauri can survive in these sites of adversity, but if planted in rich soil without competition they will grow much faster.
