All Creatures # 58
Oil
This study examines the history of oil production in Malaysian states rich in oil resources, such as Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, and Kelantan, which have substantially contributed to the country’s economic growth. DOI:10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i11/19478
Primates
This dissertation describes the changes in primate distribution over elevation due to climate change. Western Bornean orangutans, White-bearded gibbons, Red leaf Monkeys, Long-tailed macaques and Pig-tailed macaques were studied over fifteen years. The study was conducted at Cabang Panti Research Station in Gunung Palung National Park, Indonesian Borneo and showed as the climate warmed the primates moved to higher elevations. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/193175/abbernar_1.pdf?sequence=1
The Moro-American War of 1906
This study describes the causes which led to the massacre of the Moro people by the Americans in 1906. The invaders were the American soldiers and some prominent leaders of the Sulu Province. The invaders led to victory because of their high-powered guns. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management Volume 7, Issue 5, May 2024
Basa Latala
Basa Latala, a language spoken by the Punan Sajau of Borneo, is an Austronesian language and not of some other origin as others have claimed. https://doi.org/10.1353/ol.2024.a928207.
Damsel and Dragon Flies
A checklist of these insects is available. It’s 122 pages. 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5460.1.1
Shark Fossil
In this study, we focus on the sharks and rays fossil record from the Neogene and Quaternary periods (the last 23 million years). Together with the high preservation potential of their teeth, it is not surprising that shark and ray teeth are among the most commonly found.Doi:10.3390/d6060323
Timber
Trees of the genus Gonystylus (Thymelaeaceae) produce high-value timber widely known as ramin. Ramin is used for making various types of solid timber products. The trees are commonly found in tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests of Sarawak. Many of the ramin are threatened due to forest conversion. Nature lovers and environmentalists remain unconvinced about the effectiveness of the ‘sustainable’ system and aim to protect forests from human disturbances. On the other hand, economists and industry players define sustainability by profiting from forest resources in a regulated manner. Timber Technology Bulletin no. 129 2024
Prostitution
A study of prostitution in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from the legal, social and cultural dimensions. International Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly and Disabled, Vol. 20, (Jan) ISSN 0128-309X 2
New Species
Two Darkling Fungus beetles from Sarawak have been redescribed from one species to two new species. Elytra, New Series, 14 (1): 49–60 May 25, 2024
Pygmy Halfbeak Fish
The Pygmy Halfbeak of Sarawak produces live young but in low numbers. Made known to science in 2001 from Kuching, members of the genus Dermogenys are commonly traded as ornamental fishes, frequently mislabelled under the umbrella name of D. pusilla (“wrestling halfbeak”) which has confused species identity and origin. They are also of incidental economic value as food fish in regional markets of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Species from the Genus Dermogenys are an especially popular tablefish in Cambodia as a source of vitamin A for the locals [Across Thailand, Dermogenys are also sometimes used as fighting fish for gambling, taking advantage of the combative and pugilistic nature of mature males of this genus towards each other. This study leads to a better understanding of the fish. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL LIFE SCIENCE 2024, Vol. 14, No. 2, 263 – 268
Dragon Fly
Prodasineura yulan was observed in a small peaty-water stream in the Iban Dayak customary land of the Sungai Utik, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. It had previously only been known from the holotype male from Maludam National Park in Sarawak. https://doi.org/10.60024/nodo.v10i3.a5
Plants during Drought
Solar‑induced chlorophyll fluorescence(SIF) measures photosynthetic activity during a certain period. During the dry season of 2015, there were significant reductions in SIF in southern Borneo where fires were frequent. Serious drought conditions with frequent fires during the El Niño event might have caused ecological degradation throughout Borneo, with a significant decrease in SIF. DOI: 10.2480 /agrmet.D‑24‑00012
The Mall and the Mosque
This chapter examines the reasons for the resilience of the Brunei monarchy, as well as the emerging fault lines and potential breaking points in the institution and ideology of the monarchy. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9655-1_10
New Book
“Studies on the Relations between the Ottoman Empire and Southeast Asia” edited by Ismail Hakki and Ismail Hakki Kadi has an interesting chapter about the south Philippines with some material on Borneo. An interesting read. Free download or I have a copy.
Language on the Border
This essay suggests the people who live along the border are bi-lingual. They speak one language at home, in their religious celebrations and the longhouses. Outside of the home, they speak Indonesian or a Bidayuh dialect. I have a copy.
Fuzhow and the Iban
Once you get passed the terms of sovereignty, sovereignty production and other arcane political science words, you enter a world of the Fuzhow and the Iban and how they interacted with each other. The history of the two groups plus the changes they endured makes this thesis well worth reading. I have a copy. Just ask.
Fungi and Trees
This study shows the greater the number of trees the greater the fungi and the further away you get from the study site the less the fungus. The study was performed in Lambir Hills National Park in Sarawak.DOI: 10.22541/au.171783283.35260476/v1
New Species
A newly discovered rock gecko genus cnemaspis is described from Santubong National Park Sarawak.10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5468.2.7
Clouded Leopard
At the top of the food chain are Clouded leopards and the Sunda Leopard. The Clouded leopard may kill and eat the Sunda leopard. Together, they eat ground-dwelling birds such as the pheasants and ground-dwelling small birds known as pittas. When the Clouded Leopards are removed by habitat destruction, then the Sunda leopards increase and eat more of the pheasants and pittas. The Sunda Leopard cat has adapted very well to oil palm estates. Our results suggest that Sunda leopard cats flourish in oil palm plantations partly because of the absence of clouded leopards, which leads to an increase in their abundance in this habitat. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e3280
New Species
Two new species of wasps: Rugosimirax obsolescens sp. nov. and Rugosimirax bimacula sp. nov. have been made known from Borneo. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2024.935.2563
Iban and Brunei
This essay discusses the lives of the Iban and others along the Temburong River system, situated in the Temburong district of Brunei. The Iban are not considered an indigenous group (Puak jati) of the sultanate and, therefore, do not have the privileges of the Brunei and other groups. The essay informs of the lives of the Malays, and Ibans (now called Fisher Folks) and the role the river plays in the development of Brunei. Kushtia College Journal Vol.1 Issue 2, January,2024
Chinese Temple in Brunei
- The article informs about how the Teng Yun Temple, the oldest sanctioned Chinese temple in Brunei Darussalam, navigates assimilation pressures in a Muslim-majority country while upholding religious orthodoxy and cultural identity through transnational ties with its ancestral land. doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2024.2363534
