Sunda Research Articles

The Australasian frog family Ceratobatrachidae in China, Myanmar and Thailand: discovery of a new Himalayan forest frog clade.

In an effort to study the systematic affinities and specieslevel phylogenetic relationships of the enigmatic anurans variably assigned to the genera Ingerana or Limnonectes (family Dicroglossidae), we collected new molecular sequence data for five species including four Himalayan taxa, Limnonectes xizangensis, Lim. medogensis, Lim. alpina, [corrected] Ingerana borealis and one southeast Asian species, I. tasanae, and analyzed these together with data from previous studies involving other ostensibly related taxa. Our surprising results demonstrate unequivocally that Lim. xizangensis, Lim. medogensis and Lim. alpina [corrected] form a strongly supported clade, the sister-group of the family Australasian forest frog family Ceratobatrachidae. This discovery requires an expansion of the definition of Ceratobatrachidae and represents the first record of this family in China. These three species are distinguished from the species of Ingerana and Limnonectes by the: (1) absence of interdigital webbing of the foot, (2) absence of terminal discs on fingers and toes, (3) absence of circumarginal grooves on the fingers and toes, and (4) absence of tarsal folds. Given their phylogenetic and morphological distinctiveness, we assign them to the oldest available generic name for this clade, Liurana Dubois 1987, and transfer Liurana from Dicroglossidae to the family Ceratobatrachidae. In contrast, Ingerana tasanae was found to be clustered with strong support with the recently described genus Alcalus (Ceratobatrachidae), a small clade of otherwise Sundaic species; this constitutes a new record of the family Ceratobatrachidae for Myanmar and Thailand. Finally, Ingerana borealis clustered with the "true" Ingerana (family Dicroglossidae), for which the type species is I. tenasserimensis.

Genetic diversity of a tropical rainforest understory bird in an urban fragmented landscape

ABSTRACT Analyzing the genetic diversity of a population can be useful in identifying some of the silent effects of habitat fragmentation. We examined and compared 4 mitochondrial loci of the near threatened Short-tailed Babbler (Pellorneum malaccense), a rainforest understory bird, between a highly fragmented population in Singapore and populations from elsewhere in the Sundaic region. We found that the fragmented Singaporean population is genetically impoverished, with <20% of the intrapopulation genetic diversity present in a comparable sample from Borneo within intact forest. Differences in haplotype diversity among Singaporean sites of occurrence suggest that there may be extremely poor genetic diversity and connectivity among Singaporean subpopulations. These findings highlight the importance of connectivity in maintaining population genetic diversity in urban tropical forest patches. Our results also corroborate previous findings that there are 3 deeply diverged lineages of Short-tailed Babbler acr...

RELIGION AND THE LOCAL TRADITION OF LIFE CYCLE RITUALS IN KAMPUNG NAGA, WEST JAVA

West Java is one of the provinces in Indonesia which is culturally rich and diverse. The cultural wealth in Tatar Sunda (West Java) is centered on several areas that serve as the settlement of indigenous communities, from the eastern region of Ciamis, to Sukabumi. Each region has its own cultural uniqueness. Among the cultural heritage which is still in existence and preserved is Kampung Naga. It was a traditional village that firmly preserves its ancestral tradition (karuhun) passed down from generation to generation. One of the interesting features of the community of Kampung Naga is the life cycle ritual which they perform with no outside influence. This article will describe the life cycle ritual performed by the indigenous community of Kampung Naga. The ethnographic method approach is used in this study, where the author was directly involved in the process of performing the ritual. Observations, in-depth interviews and participation in any activity were used to collect verifiable data. This research showed that the daur hidup (life cycle) ritual performed by the traditional community of Kampung Naga included the rituals for pregnant mother, child birth, circumcision, gusaran, marriage, and prayer to the dead. The ritual carried out by the community is derived from the old Sundanese belief combined with Islamic culture that came in later

REKONSTRUKSI “ISLAM TEH SUNDA, SUNDA TEH ISLAM”

This paper describes the background of the “Islam teh Sunda dan Sunda teh Islam” means that “Islam is the same as the Sunda and Sunda that is Islam”, the term, was introduced by Haji Endang Saefudin Ansari. To know the term, the authors will focus on the discussion of the history of the emergence of the term “Islam teh Sunda dan Sunda teh Islam”, the development of the term “Islam teh Sunda dan Sunda teh Islam”, and the reconstruction of the term “Islam teh Sunda dan Sunda teh Islam”. The findings were obtained by the author of the term “Islam teh Sunda dan Sunda teh Islam”, namely: (1) the term “Islam teh Sunda dan Sunda teh Islam” is the reality of the Sundanese people who have accepted Islam because in harmony with the values of their kesundaan; (2) alignment of the Sunda and Islam looks of their belief in the existence of God the Creator and Owner of Nature (monotheism) as well as the behavior and ethics of Sunda in harmony with the manners and morals of Islam; and (3) Reconstruction of the term “Islam teh Sunda dan Sunda teh Islam” carried out by the foundation reaffirm tawhidullâh (belief in one Allah), build supporting pillars in the form of refund Hanif nature of mankind and formulate the roof as an umbrella that is fiqhiyyah rules especially rule “al-‘âdah al-muhakkamah”.

The Heritage Media of Indonesia – Malaysia as the Identity of Cognate Culture

Paying close attention to the history of Malay (Malay “Name” and “People”), absolutely that the existence of the both countries (Indonesia and Malaysia) cannot be relinquished or forgotten, based on the history record, it was found that Malay people was not formed from single inherit, because Malay people was formed by the combination of various ethnics which professed Islam, spoke Malay and practiced Malay culture. The ethnical groups combination who formed Malay people partly consisted of a society who came from Malay Homeland including Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Pahang, Johor, Perak, Malaka, and partly was the heredity of Java, Sunda, Bugis, Makassar, Minangkabau, Banjar, Mandailing, Kerinci, Riau, Bawean (Boyan), Aceh, or Jambi. Therefore, it could be concluded that Malay people was formed by the ethnical groups combination who lived together. A cultural product can be explained as all the results of thinking, feeling, and human intention, including the heritage media, in which could be defined as tools or ways that was used by a certain society hereditary in order to communicate messages based on the society’s necessity and interest. Some of cultural products in the form of heritage media that could be found in the both countries as the society mixture consequence are Wayang Kulit , Kuda Kepang , Barongan , Gamelang , Zikir , Barasanji , Qosidah , Hadrah , Rodat , Kecapi , Folk Theater , Folk Games , even cultural products in the form Folk Dance , Silat , Artifact , Handcraft , Craft , Batik , Songket , Traditional House , and so on. The cultural products in the both of these countries was rightly became a “ Strong Binding ” in order to create a better relationship, as countries which have similarity in the religion and cultural background.This paper purposed to give an overview about the forms of heritage media products in the both countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, that was should not be a conflict, but rather be a reinforcing element, as the reason that the heritage media could be the cognate culture identity. Key w ords : Heritage Media, Cognate Culture Identity

A contribution to the systematics of Xylopia (Annonaceae) in Southeast Asia

Herbarium and field study of Xylopia L. (Annonaceae) for the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia and the Flora of Thailand projects has clarified regional diversity patterns within this ecologically significant lowland rainforest genus. Two species groups represented within Southeast Asian floras are delineated, one centred on Xylopia ferruginea (Hook.f. & Thomson) Baill. and the other on Xylopia malayana Hook.f. & Thomson. In the Xylopia ferruginea group, a new species, Xylopia erythrodactyla D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray, is distinguished from X. ferruginea, and a new combination, Xylopia sumatrana (Miq.) D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray, is proposed, based on an earlier name for the species currently known as Xylopia stenopetala Oliv. In the Xylopia malayana group, review of the species Xylopia elliptica Maingay ex Hook.f. & Thomson resulted in the recognition of three additional species: Xylopia platycarpa D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray, from southern Thailand and northwestern Peninsular Malaysia, Xylopia ngii D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray, from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo, and Xylopia heterotricha D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray, from Sumatra and Borneo. The taxon Xylopia malayana Hook.f. & Thomson var. obscura Kochummen is placed in synonymy under Xylopia elliptica sensu stricto. Xylopia fusca Maingay ex Hook.f. & Thomson var. sessiliflora Kochummen & Whitmore is distinguished from Xylopia fusca, and raised to species status as Xylopia sessiliflora (Kochummen & Whitmore) D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray. We recognise 23 Xylopia species in the Sundaic region of Southeast Asia, and provide evidence that additional collecting and taxonomic analysis in the region is needed.

New and little known species of Plateros Bourgeois, 1879 (Coleoptera: Lycidae) from Sundaland

New and little known species of Plateros Bourgeois, 1879 (Coleoptera: Lycidae) from Sundaland

Upacara Daur Hidup dalam Pernikahan Adat Sunda

Custom of wedding ceremony in Sunda ethnic has three parts: before wedding (pre-luminal), wedding procession (luminal) and after wedding (postluminal).This wedding of Sunda custom directly or indirectly has symbols and meanings which have absorbed Islamic values, which came in the fifteenth century in the Sunda Land. Hence, Sunda values and norms have completed Islamization. This Islamizaion is still going, without eliminating those values and customs which do not contravene Islamic religion. DOI: 10.15408/ref.v13i5.916

A new species of Mataeomera, formerly misidentified as M. obliquisigna (Hampson, 1894) from Japan (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Boletobiinae).

Mataeomera Butler, 1886, currently referred to the tribe Eublemmini in Boletobiinae (Holloway 2011), was proposed by Butler (1886) to accommodate an Australian species, Mataeomera dubia Butler. This genus was once regarded as a junior synonym of Autoba Walker by Poole (1989) but resurrected by Edwards (1996). Another related genus, Catoblemma Hampson, 1910 originally proposed for Catoblemma sumbavensis Hampson, 1910 from Lesser Sunda was revised to include the Australian and East and Southeast Asian species. Edwards (1996) found the Australian species of Catoblemma and Mataeomera dubia congeneric and established the synonymy of those two genera. Following Edwards (1996), Yoshimoto (1999) transferred the Asian species of Catoblemma to Mataeomera. Mataeomera currently includes 21 species (Poole 1989; Edwards 1996; Holloway 2009). Following Holloway (2009), we note that Catoblemma appears to include several unrelated species and is probably polyphyletic. In fact, the Indo-Himalayan and East Asian species currently assigned to Mataeomera are distinct from the Australian congeners in external appearance and larval feeding habits (Sohn & Ronkay 2001; Holloway 2009). As such these may merit generic status but this possibility is still under study by the first author (JCS).

GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SURFACE SEDIMENTS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH CHINA SEA AND TRANSPORT TREND ANALYSIS

Grain-size analysis is carried out for the 95surface sediment samples from the southwestern part of the South China Sea(3°56′~11°53′N,108°30′~113°47′E),where clayey silt and silty clay dominate,with sand and silty sand only occurred in the most southwestern shallow part.There shows a trend of decreasing grain-size,increasing sorting and decreasing skewness from the shallow water to deeper water.The Kriging method was employed to insert data of the grain-size parameters(mean grain-size,sorting coefficient and skewness),and then the trend analysis was carried out for the interpolated data using the GSTA program.It is revealed that the seabed topography plays a key role in the sediment transport.There is a topographic high in the area including the Guang-ya submarine plateau,the Nan-wei-tan plateau,and the Yong-shu-bei submarine plateau.To the north of the high,sediments from the western South China Sea continental shelf are transported into the Southwest Basin of South China Sea;to the south of the boundary,however,materials from the Sunda shelf and the Kalimantan Island are transported into the Nan-wei-xi and Bei-kang slope basin passing by the shelf break.The episodic sedimentary events,such as the turbidity current,also have significant impacts on the grain-size distribution pattern.The aggregation of the components8μm should not be ignored.Further researches are required for details.

Bauhinia pottsii G. Don var pottsii, KOLEKSI DARI KALIMANTAN YANG DITEMUKAN KEMBALI

Bauhinia is one of the largest genus in Caesalpiniaceae family and distributed in all tropical area. One among 300 species of Bauhinia is Bauhinia pottsii G. Don. This species is distributed from Southern Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Malay Peninsular, Borneo, Sumatra, Jawa, Bali and Lesser Sunda islands. It was recorded that one specimen was originated from East Kalimantan and collected in 1925. During exploration in Kampung Temula, Kecamatan Nyuatan, Kabupaten Kutai Barat, East Kalimantan, Bauhinia pottsii G. Don var pottsii was found after about 87 years.

On the nomenclature of the palaemonid names Palaemon spinipes Desmarest, 1817, Palaemon spinipes Schenkel, 1902, and Macrobrachium wallacei Wowor &amp;amp; Ng, 2008 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea)

Holthuis (1995) commented that there were two forms that have been referred to the widespread Indo-West Pacific Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879), and they should be recognized as subspecies: M. rosenbergii rosenbergii (De Man, 1897) sensu stricto (eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and Philippines), and M. rosenbergii dacqueti (Sunier, 1925) (Sundaic Southeast Asia, Indochina and South Asia). Wowor &amp; Ng (2007) argued that the two subspecies should be regarded as distinct species – M. rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) and M. dacqueti (Sunier, 1925). They showed that the two species, in addition to their non-overlapping distributions, can be distinguished by the relative height of the rostral base, spination of the second to fifth pereiopods in adults, shape of the fourth thoracic sternite as well as live coloration. However, in doing so, Wowor &amp; Ng (2007) created a major nomenclatural problem, as the species that is widely fished in South and Southeast Asia as well as Indochina, and also extensively cultured throughout the world should actually be known as M. dacqueti and not M. rosenbergii. To minimize taxonomic and nomenclatural confusion, they noted that it would be preferable if the name “M. rosenbergii” could be retained for the commercially more valuable and extensively researched species from Southeast Asia. To this effect, Wowor &amp; Ng (2008) requested the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) to use its plenary powers to set aside the previous type fixation for Palaemon rosenbergii De Man, 1879 (a holotype female from Andai, New Guinea, in the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden, catalogue number RMNH D 1097) and to designate the lectotype specimen of Palaemon dacqueti Sunier, 1925 (a male specimen from Java, Indonesia, in the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden, catalogue number RMNH D 1065), as its neotype. This would conserve the name Palaemon rosenbergii De Man, 1879, for the Southeast Asian species. The Commission agreed and ruled that this be done (ICZN 2010, Opinion 2253).

Studies on Homalomeneae (Araceae) of Borneo X: Two newHomalomenaspecies from Brunei, and a new Informal Species Complex for Supergroup Cyrtocladon

Summary One new informal complex, Wongii complex is proposed in the Cyrtocladon Supergroup for Sundaic Homalomena (Araceae: Homalomeneae) and two new species are described, Homalomena wongii S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce and Homalomena terajaensis S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce. Defining characters are enumerated and illustrated, and keys to the complex and species provided.

A NEW SPECIES OF THE NATRICINE SNAKE GENUS Amphiesma FROM BORNEO (SQUAMATA: NATRICIDAE)

A new species of the natricine snake genus Amphiesma is described from a single specimen obtained from Borneo by Franz Steindachner in 1878. Amphiesma arquus sp. nov. is distinguished from other species of the Sunda Region by the combination of an elongated body, 17 + 3 enlarged maxillary teeth, 17 – 17 – 15 dorsal scale rows, all strongly keeled, absence of a loreal, a high number of ventrals and subcaudals, supralabials ornate with white arched markings, and an obscured venter. Its generic position, especially in respect with the genus Tropidonophis Jan, 1863, is discussed. This new species is compared with other Asian natricine species with 17 dorsal scale rows. A key to natricine species known from Borneo is provided.

Low genetic diversity in the masked palm civet Paguma larvata (Viverridae).

The masked palm civet is distributed through south‐east Asia, China and the Himalayas. Because of its potential role in the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, it has become important to gather information on this species, and notably to provide a tool to determine the origin of farm and market animals. For this purpose, we studied the genetic variability and the phylogeographic pattern of the masked palm civet Paguma larvata. First, two portions of mitochondrial genes, cytochrome b and the control region, were sequenced for a total of 76 individuals sampled from China, the Indochinese region and the Sundaic region. Results indicated a low genetic variability and suggested a lack of a phylogeographic structure in this species, which do not allow inferring the geographic origin of samples of unknown origin, although it is possible to distinguish individuals from China and the Sundaic region. This low variation is in contrast to the well‐marked morphological differentiation between the populations in the Sundaic and Chinese–Indochinese regions. We also used five microsatellite loci to genotype 149 samples from two wild and four farmed populations in China, where the masked palm civet is farmed and where the SARS coronavirus was isolated. These analyses also showed a reduced variability in Chinese civets and showed that farmed populations did not exhibit a lower genetic diversity than wild populations, suggesting frequent introductions of wild individuals into farms.

The records of coastline changes reflected by mangroves on the Sunda Shelf since the last 40 ka

This paper presents a 40000-year-long high-resolution mangrove record from sediments of Core 18300, 18302 and 18323 on the continental shelf of the southern South China Sea and reconstructs the coastline changes on Sunda Shelf since the last 40000 years. In the period Marine Isotope 3, the old Sunda Shelf had low sea level, and it was partly exposed. Flourishing vegetations grew on the exposed old land. Mangroves developed along the coastline. On the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea level dropped greatly, coastline moved from inner shelf to outer shelf, the Old Sunda Land exposed further, and the lowering sea level induced the gradual disappearing of mangroves from the inner Sunda Shelf to the outer Sunda Shelf. And pioneer vegetation ferns covered the broadly exposed old land immediately. At the time of the last Deglaciation, sea level rose greatly, the coastline moved to the sea and the Sunda Shelf was drown again. Mangroves were emergent again from outer shelf to inner shelf and developed quickly.

Phylogeography of Ceriops tagal (Rhizophoraceae) in Southeast Asia: the land barrier of the Malay Peninsula has caused population differentiation between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea

The genetic structure of mangrove species is greatly affected by their geographic history. Nine natural populations of Ceriops tagal were collected from Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and India for this phylogeographic study. Completely different haplotype compositions on the east versus west coasts of the Malay Peninsula were revealed using the atpB-rbcL and trnL-trnF spacers of chloroplast DNA. The average haplotype diversity (Hd) of the total population was 0.549, nucleotide diversity (θ) was 0.030, and nucleotide difference (π) was 0.0074. The cladogram constructed by the index of population differentiation (GST) clearly separated the South China Sea populations from the Indian Ocean populations. In the analysis of the minimum spanning network, the Indian Ocean haplotypes were all derived from South China Sea haplotypes, suggesting a dispersal route of C. tagal from Southeast Asia to South Asia. The Sunda Land river system and surface currents might be accountable for the gene flow directions in the South China Sea and Bay of Bengal, respectively. The historical geography not only affected the present genotype distribution but also the evolution of C. tagal. These processes result in the genetic differentiation and the differentiated populations that should be considered as Management Units (MUs) for conservation measurements instead of random forestation, which might lead to gene mixing and reduction of genetic variability of mangrove species. According to this phylogeographic study, populations in Borneo, and east and west Malay Peninsula that have unique genotypes should be considered as distinct MUs, and any activities resulting in gene mixing with each other ought to be prevented.

Contrast in surface water δ18O distributions between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene in the Southern South China Sea

Published core data of planktonic foraminiferal δ 18O and alkenone sea surface temperature (SST) are used to investigate seawater δ 18O ( δ w ) distributions in the South China Sea (SCS) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Holocene. The Holocene δ w distributions show a pattern correlated to modern salinity distributions displaying an increasing trend from the south to the north. However, the LGM δ w distributions show a different pattern displaying increasing values from the central to the southern SCS, and the LGM-Holocene differences in δ w ( Δ δ w ) corrected by ice-volume effect, though negative in values, display decreasing amplitude toward the south, both of which could suggest increasing salinity toward the south by conventional approach. This is somewhat counter-intuitive because enhanced freshening could be expected for the southern SCS due to extra discharge from the river systems on the emerged Sunda Land during the LGM. Here, we propose an alternative explanation to reconcile the LGM δ w and Δ δ w distributions with the above expectation. In the proposal, changes in δ w –salinity relationship, i.e. lowering the δ w –salinity slope due to significant runoff contributions to freshwater input and less 18O-depleted precipitation during the LGM, are deeply discussed to reasonably explain the abnormity in LGM δ w distributions.

No aridity in Sunda Land during the Last Glaciation: Evidence from molecular-isotopic stratigraphy of long-chain n-alkanes

Molecular distribution and stable carbon-isotopic composition (δ 13C) of n-alkanes determined in a sediment core (17962) from the southern South China Sea (SCS) show that no obvious change has taken place in vegetation on Sunda Land from the last glacial period to the beginning of the Holocene. A shift in the accumulation rate of long-chain n-alkanes (C 27 to C 33) was recorded at a depth of about 620 cm, probably indicative of precipitation enhancement related to winter monsoon. The δ 13C values are within the range of −33.7 to −27.1‰ for C 29 n-alkanes and −33.9 to −28.4 for C 31 n-alkanes in the whole core sequence. Such an isotopic composition is characteristic of n-alkanes biosynthesized mainly by plants utilizing the C 3 photosynthetic pathway. Continuous development of C 3 plants on Sunda Land and its surroundings evidences that the climate during the last glacial period in the southern SCS was not drier than what it is today.

Mammals of south‐east Asian islands and their Late Pleistocene environments

AbstractAim The environments that existed in south‐east Asian islands during the last glacial are poorly known, limiting our understanding of mammalian biogeography in the region. The objective of this research is to investigate the ecological characteristics of mammal faunas on small islands, and to see whether the habitat requirements of the species in those faunas can be used to deduct the vegetation types that existed on islands before becoming isolated by rising sea levels.Location The maps presented here cover the small islands of tropical south‐east Asia, including the Burmese, Thai and Cambodian islands in the north, the islands off the coast of west Sumatra in the west, the islands around Java in the south, and the islands off the east coast of Borneo in the east, including the Philippine islands of Palawan and those in the Sulu Archipelago.Methods The presence records of mammal species on 215 small islands in the region were compiled, and the habitat requirements for each of these species was assessed (species that had probably been introduced by humans were excluded from the analysis). For each island location (longitude and latitude), maximum altitude of the island, total area, depth to nearest land, distance to nearest island, and distance to nearest mainland were assessed. Geographical and statistical analyses were used to investigate patterns of mammalian habitat requirements.Results The geographical analysis showed that forest‐dependent species, i.e. species that are only found in primary forest (lowland and mountainous), appear to be concentrated on islands off west Sumatra, in the Lingga and Riau Archipelagos, around Palawan, and around Bunguran Island; they are absent mostly from the islands of the Java Sea, those off the east coast of eastern Borneo, from most islands in the Sunda Strait, several islands in the northern South China Sea, and from all islands off the west coast of the Malay/Thai Peninsula and in the Gulf of Thailand. Species that generally occur outside primary forest, that is those in secondary forest, gardens, plantations and open areas mostly occurred on islands where the forest‐dependent species were absent. The statistical analysis showed that latitude and size of islands were important factors that determined the absence and presence of forest‐dependent species on small islands.Main conclusions The data suggest that during the last glacial there were several areas in the Sundaic region that remained forest covered: west of Sumatra, north‐west of Borneo, the Malacca Straits and around Palawan. Other areas may have been covered by more open vegetation types like tree savanna, or open deciduous forest: on and to the east of the Malay/Thai Peninsula, the Java Sea area, including the Sunda Strait, and eastern Borneo.