Greater Sunda Islands Research Articles

BIOGEOGRAPHY OF INDO-PACIFIC CICADOIDEA: A TENTATIVE RECOGNITION OF AREAS OF ENDEMISM.

Abstract- The biogeography of the cicadas of the Indo-Pacific is discussed in relation to paleogeography and compared with distribution patterns found in other groups of organisms. The cicadas show a low degree of endemism in the mainland of southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands, and a high degree of endemism in Sulawesi, New Guinea, and the islands of the west Pacific. The biogeography of the cicadas of these regions with high endemism is analyzed for four groups: the subtribe Cosmopsaltriaria, the tribe Prasiini, the genus Baeturia, and the Pacific Cryptotympanini. A review of the paleogeography of the Indo-Pacific, specifying the relevant barriers, island arcs, and land connections, is provided. The recognized areas of endemism are tentatively related to the geological history of the Indo-Pacific. Areas of endemism are the Sulawesi Arcs and the Outer and Inner Melanesian Arcs. New Guinea appears to be a composite of areas of different origin: the central mountains of the Inner Melanesian Arc, the north-coast mountains of the Outer Melanesian Arc, and the Vogelkop area, which is of uncertain origin. The Papuan Peninsula of New Guinea seems to be a zone of overlap between the Outer and the Inner Melanesian Arcs. The Pacific archipelagos of the Outer Melanesian Arcs (viz., the Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and the Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa Islands) represent distinct areas of endemism. The taxon-area cladogram of the Cosmopsaltriaria gives some indication of the relationships among the areas of endemism. The discussion is extended to groups of bats, frogs, psocids, butterflies, and moths of the Melanesian Arcs, as their patterns of distribution seem equally relevant for the recognition of the biogeographic interrelationships in the Indo-Pacific.

Melampitta gigantea: Possible Relation between Feather Structure and Underground Roosting Habits

The Greater Melampitta (Melampitta gigantea) is one of the least known and apparently rarest New Guinea birds. No field observations at all have been reported for it. Only six specimens are known, from four far-flung areas of New Guinea, and records of only four of these specimens have been published. The apparent rareness of this species contrasts with the relative abundance of its only congener, the Lesser Melampitta (M. lugubris) of the New Guinea highlands. These two species were formerly considered babblers (Timaliidae), but are now assigned to the family Orthonychidae (log-runners), along with 15 other species that formerly were also usually considered to be babblers (14 other species in New Guinea or Australia or both, and 1 species in Malaya and the Greater Sunda Islands). Between 25 February and 3 March 1981, I found the Greater Melampitta to be common at a new locality, the Fakfak Mountains of northwestern New Guinea. I discovered its peculiar habitat preference and roost, recorded its voice, and obtained a second-hand account of its nest. The habitat preference helps explain why this species has been rarely encountered before. As background to my observations, I first review data on the six known specimens.

The First Record of Platycerium ridleyi in Sumatera

Platycerium ridleyi Christ, one of the well-known staghorn ferns, was thought to be restricted to a few localities in Malaya, Singapore, northeastern Borneo, and the Lingga Archipelago. It was not known to occur on Sumatera (formerly Sumatra). In general, this species is regarded as rare (Ridley, 1926, p. 110); few collections have been made during the last 20 years, and according to Holttum (pers. comm.), this species must be regarded as extinct in Singapore. During some field trips in Jambi Province, Central Sumatera, in 1980, the authors visited two places where P. ridleyi appeared to be rather common. One locality is the Nature Reserve of Berbak along the river Air Hitam Laut (? 1?25'S, 104?30'E) about 15-25 km upstream from the east coast. The second locality is in the center of the island near Pasir Mayang, close to the head of the Batang Hari River (?+ ?0'S, 102?0'E), in a timber concession to P.T.I.F.A. (Asiatic Forest Industry, Ltd.), where the species may become extinct. These two places are rather far from each other, but fit well in the previously known distribution pattern. Platycerium coronarium (Konig ex Muller) Desv., the sister species of P. ridleyi, can be found in both P. ridleyi localities. The latter is a common and widely distributed species in the ever-wet lowlands of Malaya and the Greater Sunda Islands. Although the two species are closely related, they can be distinguished easily by their different habits. Platvcerium ridleyi has erect foliage fronds, an oval soral lobe, and entire base fronds (with very prominent veins) forming a large bulb. Platncerium coronarium has elongate, pendulous foliage fronds, a kidney-shaped soral lobe, and lobed base fronds forming a basket. There is another striking difference between the two species: P. ridlevi grows solitarily, but with many specimens in one tree (at least 10, mostly 15), whereas P. coronarium is present in one or two clusters, which are formed by vegetative reproduction. Ridley (1908, p. 56), who was the first author to distinguish P. ridleyi (as P. biforme var. erectum), mentioned its occurrence on lofty branches of trees like Shorea, at least 30 m above the ground. He never saw P. ridleyi and P. coronarium growing on the same tree. Furthermore, he cited Motley for specimens from Borneo, which were growing on the highest branches of trees in very exposed places. Holttum (1954, p. 140) remarked that P. ridleyi grows on tall trees, but sometimes also on low branches along rivers. It never grows in open country like P. coronarium. Corner (1978, p. 162) noted P. ridleyi to be frequent on high branches in swamp forests.

The Hinduization of Indonesia Reconsidered

When, in 1926, N. J. Krom published his standard study of the Hindu-Javanese period in Indonesian history, a major gap in the historiography of the Archipelago seemed to have been filled. Krom's later publications enlarged expertly upon the major themes of his great work. He seemed content to catalogue and analyze the many Indonesia inscriptions, statues, and temples, dating from the fifth to the fifteenth centuries A.D. which he regarded as the fruit of the Hinduization of Java and Sumatra. In his earlier study of Hindu-Javanese art, he brilliantly revealed the mingling of indigenous traditions with the technique of Hindu and Hinduized artisans in the Sumatran and Javanese kingdoms. The dominant note in all his writings was the great civilizing influence which he claimed had been exerted by Hindu traders and colonists over the supposedly untutored indigenous population of the Greater Sunda islands. Though willing to admit that the inhabitants of Java and Sumatra before the coming of the Hindus were not “savages” and that they possessed a certain knowledge of political organization, and agricultural and metallurgical technique, Krom emphasized that the high civilization reached by the kingdoms of Java and Sumatra between the ninth and thirteenth centuries was largely due to the infiltration of Hindu culture.

The Excistence of an Aestuarine Fishfauna in South East Asia

Before the outbreak of the war with Japan the author had the intention to publish an extensive account on the occurrence of an aestuarine fishfauna in and in front of the large aestuarines and river-mouths so often found in India, Burma, Malaya, Thailand and Indo China and in the Greater Sunda Islands, Sumatra and Borneo, the rivers of the latter two islands being the special field of investigation. However as a consequence of the war all, thus far, unpublished notes and the greater part of the collections were lost as is the case with a most interesting sample of an aestuarine fishfauna from South New Guinea, where biologically the same conditions exist as in Sumatran and Bornean rivermouths. This last collection remained partly unpacked when war broke out and its still unassorted part disappeared. Only about 20 % of the total was found back in a more or less good condition.