This and That # 9
Interbreeding in Early Humans in Island Southeast Asia
Two ancient species of pre-humans, Homo luzonenis and Homo floresesiensis, were in island Southeast Asia before the first wave of modern humans came. These modern humans show distinctive interbreeding with the Denisovans (another early breed of pre-humans) but fail to show any interbreeding with luzonenis or floresesiensis. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01408-0
Worms in Frogs
Three new species of worms located in the intestinal gut of frogs have been discovered in Borneo. Intestinal worm lover should be overjoyed!Comparative Parasitology 88(1), 46-50, (2 March 2021). https://doi.org/10.1654/1525-2647-88.1.46
Lung Cancer…Not
A 63-year-old farmer was admitted to the hospital in Sarawak. A chest x-ray showed a mass in the lung. Lung cancer was diagnosed. Two weeks later, the patient attended an outpatient clinic for a review. The patient had symptoms not usually associated with lung cancer. He was immediately admitted and, after more tests, the lung cancer diagnosis was changed to melioidosis. Melioidosis may act as a masquerade and show lung cancer. So, if diagnosed with lung cancer, ask your doctor to check for melioidosis. Lancet DOI:Â https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00200-2
Sting Ray Tapeworm
The gut of a stingray caught off the coast of Borneo revealed a new species of tapeworm. Sillabothrium bornesis was newly named by scientists. Glad to see they named the specie after our beloved island. Tapeworms fans should be very happy. Comparative Parasitology, 88(1):34-40 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1654/1525-2647-88.1.34
Mayflies
The number of Mayflies belonging to the group Labiobaetis has increased by five from specimens collected from museums. L. borneoenis was just recently named while L. morihari took the honours on the mainland. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.914.47067 http://zookeys.pensoft.net
Lichen Study
Lichens are an association between a fungus and algae. They are usually blue green in color and grow on both living and dead trees. The group studied the lichens in the low-level rainforests of Borneo dominated by dipterocarpacae. They discovered a significant difference between lichens growing on trees in disturbed and non-disturbed plots. The scientist say lichens should play a role in determining forest health. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 541. https://doi.org/10.3390/ microorganisms9030541
Organization of Pre Agricultural People
This essay debunks the model of pre-agricultural people 1. Living in small bands 2. Band were mobile and fluid 3. People were treated as equals 4. Cooperation was mainly between band members and 5.Agriculture, both in the cultivation of plants and herding of animals, was absent. Rather it proposes a model that states the people were 1. Sedentary. 2. Stored food 3. had aquatic resources 4. was hierarchical 5. institutional status competition 6. had large groups and 7. and had large scale cooperation. Quite an interesting read. file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/hgs_share.pdf
New Cricket
A new species of cricket, Changiola sarawakensis, has been found on Borneo. The genus four species, two of which are on the Peninsula, one in Indochina and now one in Borneo. Another insect named for Sarawak! Doi:https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.49411.16
Butterfly invades Sarawak
A butterfly, A.terpsicorp, pale orange with black dots and a black and white fringe, has extended its range to include Sarawak. The species was found to feed voraciously on P.foetida, a species of passion flower. We can always use more butterflies. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture March 2021 vol 37 issue 1 p. 235
Sinus Surgery
A Report from the Poland Journal of Medicine that included Sarawak General Hospital in its study tells that sinus surgery can be done under local anaesthesia. In 43% of the cases, local anaesthesia was used alone while 57% received both local and intravenous anaesthesia. Ninety per cent of the patients returned home the next day.DOI: https://doi.org/10.29089/2020.20.00122
Jewel Orchid
A very rare jewel orchid, M limii, from Sabah has been reproduced in the lab. The report indicated the time of flowering and seed development. Macodes limii will take 54 days from flowering to seed production. It is hoped conservation and possible commercial efforts can be produced. Journal of Asian Pacific Diversity https://doi.porg/10.1016/j.japb.20201.03.001
Stingless Bee Honey
The honey from the stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama, has shown to be an excellent anti-bacterial and anti fungal agent as opposed to honey from the apis mellifera bees. Since the bees are so small they can access smaller flowers whose pollen has anti-bacterial properties. The honey should be studied by the pharmaceutical industry as a new medicine. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31782/IJCRR.2021.SP131
Tree Mortality
The 2015-2016 El Nino drought markedly increased the number of trees that died. The trees studied were in the heath (sandy soil at sea level) and mixed dipterocarp. The trees in the lower elevations were markedly affected than in the upper elevations. Heath forests were more likely to die off than the dipterocarp mix. Forest and Ecology Management 490 (2021) 119096
New Tree Disease
A fungal disease that has recombined its DNA is responsible for a new disease that affects Eucalyptus plantations in Sabah. Two studies, one in South Africa and one in Sabah, showed the Sabah variety of the disease as having a much greater impact. The disease causes leaf blight. https://doi.org/10.1111/efp.12683
Ants, Plants and Mutualism
Some plants use food to attract ants. These ants then provide the plant protection from other species from eating the plant. Researchers from Holland at the Danum Valley Research Center in Sabah studied Leea aculeata, a woody vine. They found that ants removed food from the shoots, different ants species provided different protection for the plants and that insects eating the leaves were greater when the ants were slow to discover the food. ASIAN MYRMECOLOGY — Volume 14, e014002, 2021 DOI: 10.20362/am.014002
A. Ants climbing on the plant. B and C food for ants
Blood Flukes
Two new species of blood flukes that act as parasites on the banded eagle ray (Aetomylaeus nichofii) have been discovered off Indonesian waters. The blood flukes attack the heart of the ray. The International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221322442100016X?via%3Dihub
Slug Eating Snakes
· A new species of slug eating snakes (I never knew there was such a thing) has been found after museum specimens were reviewed. A voucher specimen (a specimen used in research to name an animal and is kept so others can refer to it), from the Sarawak Museum in Kuching has yielded a new species, Asthenodipsas ingeri sp. nov. from Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4949.1.2
