All Creatures Great and Small #11
Plants from South America and onto Southeast Asia
Dissochaeteae Melastomataceae is a large group of plants that includes plants that grow on another plant such as orchids. There are 375 species of these plants. Results from the molecular dating analysis suggest that the diversity of Dissochaeteae in the Southeast Asian region resulted from a South American ancestor in the late Eocene (56 to 49 million years ago). The ancestor of the Dissochaeteae might have migrated from South America to Southeast Asia via North America and then entered Eurasia over the North Atlantic land bridge during the Eocene. The origin and early diversification of the Dissochaeteae in Southeast Asia date back to the middle Oligocene (34 million to 23 million years ago). Most of the different plants originated during the Miocene (23 to 5 million years ago). Indochina and Borneo are most likely the area of origin for the most recent common ancestor of the Dissochaeteae. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 2021
Frog as a Wedding Gift
On 21 May 2017, a frog (Leptomantis fasciatus) was seen in the bill of a male Raffles Malkoha (Rhinortha cloropahea). The male, still holding the frog, then mated with her. The male kept the frog throughout the encounter. It was not known whether the female rejected the gift or the mal had no intention of giving it to her. This observation is the first to report a bird preying on a L. fasciatus and the first to report a rare occurrence of nuptial gift-giving. Our own Indraneil Das from UM Sarawak wrote the article. Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 713-716 (2021) (published online on 21 April 2021)
The Banka Slow Loris
The Banka Slow Loris has been given the distinction of being a separate species from the Borneo Slow Loris. Found in Borneo and on the island of Banka, the wet-nosed primates are found as the lemurs in Madagascar, bushbabies from Africa and the loris from India to Southeast Asia. This nocturnal animal has distinct facial markings. https://wikigb.com/en/Nycticebus_bancanus-2680648868
New Book on Sarawak
A new book by Japanese researchers Noboru Ishikawa and Ryoji Soda, entitled Anthropogenic Tropical Forests has been published by Springer Singapore for the ridiculous price of 118 Euros for an e-book and 155 Euros for a hardcover. The book tells of how the rain forest of Sarawak has been treated as a commodity to be harvested and turned the land into plantations. This technical book provides the best study of the rain forest. “Building on a rich history of collaboration between Japanese and Malaysian academics, Anthropogenic Tropical Forests presents a nuanced, empirically grounded picture of one “plantation frontier” in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, tracing its social, political, economic, and ecological transformations over time and gesturing toward new possibilities for its future.” from the review. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811375118
Two New Species of Planthoppers
G. dayi sp. nov. from southern Thailand and G. floreni sp. nov. from northern Borneo have been recognized as new species. The genus Gergithus now counts 36 species, the fauna of Thailand includes 8 species of Planthoppers including two Gergithus species and that of Borneo, 8 species of Planthoppers including two Gergithus. This represents however only a fraction of the real diversity of Planthoppers. Belgian Journal of Entomology 114: 1–17 (2021)
Pneumonia
Researchers from the University of South Hampton in the United Kingdom travelled to very rural Sarawak to study the bacteria causing Pneumonia. They discovered that Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most prevalent bacteria as opposed to S.pneumonia which is found globally. The HIB vaccine is especially effective against K. pneumoniae. Pneumonia 13, 6 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41479-021-00084-9
Gecko or Cicak
Genetic evidence can now predict how many species there should be as opposed to how many have been captured. This prediction is called the delineation hypothesis. Doctoral candidate Hayden R. Davis from the University of Washington and our own Indraneil Da from UNIMAS and others have found there should be two other species of Cicak not yet found. The preservation of the rainforest is of paramount importance in preserving these species. J Zool Syst Evol Res. 2021;00:1–23.
Land Snails
Thirteen new species of land snails have been made known to science from eight limestone outcrops in Bau. The study also presents a list of the species. Mohammed Effendi, Thor-Seng Lu and Jaya Azlan from the Biodiversity Centers in both Sabah and Sarawak made the discoveries. ZooKeys 1035: 1–113 (2021) doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1035.60843 https://zookeys.pensoft.net
New Species of Homalomen
A new species of Homalomen has been found in Santubong has been made known to science. The new species has been restricted to the Santubong Peninsula. Webbia Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography 76(1)83-87 doi 10.36523/JOPT-10339
Terung Asam or Egg plant
A new paper has brought together a wide variety of information about this wild and wonderful vegetable. In East Malaysia, it has slowly become a commercial venture. Sains Malaysiana 50(3)(2021): 593-603
Hornbill Nests
Hornbills nest in the cavities of trees. The lack of suitable hornbill nesting sites have been lost because deforestation of large trees. Several zoo partners built hornbill nests out of plastic. The first use of the plastic nests came three years after it was placed when a pair of hornbills nested and produced five living chicks. The growth of lichen on the box seems to have lowered the temperature inside the boxes and made them more attractive to nesting. Wooden boxes were built but they decayed rapidly and were in competition with bee, fly squirrels and other denizens of the forest. Oryx 2021 p.329-333m https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 118.101.183.35
Water Snails
Nerid snails are a diverse and conspicuous group in tropical coastal areas. They can be found in most water environments from beaches to rivers and mangrove swamps. A team from several local universities (Brunei, Trengganu and Singapore) found seven new species. The snails have also been used to monitor climate change. Ecologica Montenegrina 42: 45-61 (2021) This journal is available online at: www.biotaxa.org/em http://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.202.42.2
Two New Species of Gigantometopini
The insect world is all flutter about two new species of the giant bugs found in Brunei. According to Dr George Beccaloni (thanks George), The English name is Jumping Tree Bugs. https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/user
Orangutan News
“The rainforests of Southeast Asia are characterized as challenging habitats for vertebrate frugivores1. In particular, these rainforests experience greater variation in annual fruit productivity than African and South American rainforests2. The island of Borneo is particularly limited, with lower overall fruit productivity compared to Sumatra3,4, and this low resource abundance has shaped the island’s animals in various ways. For instance, Bornean mammal populations have smaller body sizes compared to their counterparts on Sumatra, Java, and the Malay/Thai Peninsula5“. The orangutans experience a 70% decrease in food. Orangutans may use their fat reserves to get them through the periods of fruit non-availability. However, when the fat is gone, the orangutan experience the loss of muscle tissue for energy. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-89186-4
Banana Blood Disease
The expansion of Banana Blood disease continues its march throughout Indonesia and Malaysia. In Borneo, the disease has spread to central and south Kalimantan in the areas of Pontianak and Sambas. The malady causes the death of the banana plant and is carried by a bacterium. The cooking banana seems to be highly susceptible. The bacterium causes rot of the bell (the big purple thing that hangs down). Insects transmit the disease. Please ask me for a copy of the article.