Background. The bay cat Catopuma badia is endemic to Borneo, whereas its sister species the Asian golden cat Catopuma temminckii is distributed from the Himalayas and southern China through Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Based on morphological data, up to five subspecies of the Asian golden cat have been recognized, but a taxonomic assessment, including molecular data and morphological characters, is still lacking. Results. We combined molecular data (whole mitochondrial genomes), morphological data (pelage) and species distribution projections (up to the Late Pleistocene) to infer how environmental changes may have influenced the distribution of these sister species over the past 120 000 years. The molecular analysis was based on sequenced mitogenomes of 3 bay cats and 40 Asian golden cats derived mainly from archival samples. Our molecular data suggested a time of split between the two species approximately 3.16 Ma and revealed very low nucleotide diversity within the Asian golden cat population, which supports recent expansion of the population. Discussion. The low nucleotide diversity suggested a population bottleneck in the Asian golden cat, possibly caused by the eruption of the Toba volcano in Northern Sumatra (approx. 74 kya), followed by a continuous population expansion in the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene. Species distribution projections, the reconstruction of the demographic history, a genetic isolation-by-distance pattern and a gradual variation of pelage pattern support the hypothesis of a post-Toba population expansion of the Asian golden cat from south China/Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Our findings reject the current classification of five subspecies for the Asian golden cat, but instead support either a monotypic species or one comprising two subspecies: (i) the Sunda golden cat, distributed south of the Isthmus of Kra: C. t. temminckii and (ii) Indochinese, Indian, Himalayan and Chinese golden cats, occurring north of the Isthmus: C. t. moormensis.
Balancing economic development with international commitments to protect biodiversity is a global challenge. Achieving this balance requires an understanding of the possible consequences of alternative future scenarios for a range of stakeholders. We employ an integrated economic and environmental planning approach to evaluate four alternative futures for the mega-diverse island of Borneo. We show what could be achieved if the three national jurisdictions of Borneo coordinate efforts to achieve their public policy targets and allow a partial reallocation of planned land uses. We reveal the potential for Borneo to simultaneously retain ∼50% of its land as forests, protect adequate habitat for the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis), and achieve an opportunity cost saving of over US$43 billion. Such coordination would depend on enhanced information sharing and reforms to land-use planning, which could be supported by the increasingly international nature of economies and conservation efforts.
The effects of selective logging on the diversity and species composition of moths were investigated by sampling from multiple sites in primary forest, both understorey and canopy, and logged forest at Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia. The diversity of individual sites was similar, although rarefied species richness of logged forest was 17% lower than for primary forest (understorey and canopy combined). There was significant heterogeneity in faunal composition and measures of similarity (NESS index) among primary forest understorey sites which may be as great as those between primary understorey and logged forest. The lowest similarity values were between primary forest understorey and canopy, indicating a distinct canopy fauna. A number of species encountered in the logged forest were confined to, or more abundant in, the canopy of primary forest. Approximately 10% of species were confined to primary forest across a range of species' abundances, suggesting this is a minimum estimate for the number of species lost following logging. The importance of accounting for heterogeneity within primary forest and sampling in the canopy when measuring the effects of disturbance on tropical forest communities are emphasized.
Gua Sireh, located in western Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo), is known for its rock art. The cave houses hundreds of charcoal drawings depicting people, often with headdresses, knives and other accoutrements. Here, we present direct radiocarbon dates and pigment characterizations from charcoal drawings of two large (>75 cm), unique Gua Sireh human figures (anthropomorphs). To our knowledge, these are the first chronometric ages generated for Malaysian rock art, providing insights into the social contexts of art production, as well as the opportunities and challenges of dating rock art associated with the Malay/Austronesian diasporas in Southeast Asia more generally. Previous archaeological excavations revealed that people occupied Gua Sireh from around 20,000 years ago to as recently as AD 1900. The site is within Bidayuh territory, and these local Indigenous peoples recall the cave's use as a refuge during territorial violence in the early 1800s. The age of the drawings, dated between 280 and 120 cal BP (AD 1670 to 1830), corresponds with a period of increasing conflict when the Malay elites controlling the region exacted heavy tolls on the local hill tribes. We discuss rock art production at Gua Sireh in this context of frontier conflict and Bidayuh resistance.
A key driver of rain forest degradation is rampant commercial logging. Reduced-impact logging (RIL) techniques dramatically reduce residual damage to vegetation and soils, and they enhance the long-term economic viability of timber operations when compared to conventionally managed logging enterprises. Consequently, the application of RIL is increasing across the tropics, yet our knowledge of the potential for RIL also to reduce the negative impacts of logging on biodiversity is minimal. We compare the impacts of RIL on birds, leaf-litter ants, and dung beetles during a second logging rotation in Sabah, Borneo, with the impacts of conventional logging (CL) as well as with primary (unlogged) forest. Our study took place 1-8 years after the cessation of logging. The species richness and composition of RIL vs. CL forests were very similar for each taxonomic group. Both RIL and CL differed significantly from unlogged forests in terms of bird and ant species composition (although both retained a large number of the species found in unlogged forests), whereas the composition of dung beetle communities did not differ significantly among forest types. Our results show little difference in biodiversity between RIL and CL over the short-term. However, biodiversity benefits from RIL may accrue over longer time periods after the cessation of logging. We highlight a severe lack of studies investigating this possibility. Moreover, if RIL increases the economic value of selectively logged forests (e.g., via REDD+, a United Nations program: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries), it could help prevent them from being converted to agricultural plantations, which results in a tremendous loss of biodiversity.
Southeast Asia is a hotspot of imperiled biodiversity, owing to extensive logging and forest conversion to oil palm agriculture. The degraded forests that remain after multiple rounds of intensive logging are often assumed to be of little conservation value; consequently, there has been no concerted effort to prevent them from being converted to oil palm. However, no study has quantified the biodiversity of repeatedly logged forests. We compare the species richness and composition of birds and dung beetles within unlogged (primary), once-logged and twice-logged forests in Sabah, Borneo. Logging had little effect on the overall richness of birds. Dung beetle richness declined following once-logging but did not decline further after twice-logging. The species composition of bird and dung beetle communities was altered, particularly after the second logging rotation, but globally imperiled bird species (IUCN Red List) did not decline further after twice-logging. Remarkably, over 75 per cent of bird and dung beetle species found in unlogged forest persisted within twice-logged forest. Although twice-logged forests have less biological value than primary and once-logged forests, they clearly provide important habitat for numerous bird and dung beetle species. Preventing these degraded forests from being converted to oil palm should be a priority of policy-makers and conservationists.
Three new species of Merizocotyle Cerfontaine, 1894 (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) are described from the nasal tissues of stingrays collected off Borneo. Merizocotyle macrostrobus n. sp. is described from the dwarf whipray Himantura walga (Müller & Henle) collected in shallow waters off Sematan, Sarawak, Malaysia. This species can be distinguished from the other members of the genus by the morphology of the sclerotised male copulatory organ, which is long with many twists and loops. The vaginae of this species are also long and looped. Merizocotyle papillae n. sp. is described from the roughnose stingray Pastinachus solocirostris Last, Manjaji & Yearsley collected off Sematan and Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is distinguished from the other species of Merizocotyle by the morphology of the male copulatory organ, which is a sclerotised tube that expands slightly and then tapers at the distal end, and by the presence of papillae on the dorsal edge of the haptor. Merizocotyle rhadinopeos n. sp. is described from the whitenose whip ray Himantura uarnacoides (Bleeker) collected off Manggar, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It can be differentiated by the male copulatory organ, which is a short, narrow, curved, sclerotised tube tapering distally, and the path of the ovary, which runs anteriorly to the base of the oötype. We also provide details of new host and/or locality records for M. australensis (Beverley-Burton & Williams, 1989) Chisholm, Wheeler & Beverley-Burton, 1995, M. icopae Beverley-Burton & Williams, 1989 and M. pseudodasybatis (Hargis, 1955) Chisholm, Wheeler & Beverley-Burton, 1995.
Myliocotyle borneoensis sp. n. and M. multicrista sp. n. (Monocotylidae: Heterocotylinae) are described from the gills of the mottled eagle ray, Aetomylaeus maculatus (Gray), and the banded eagle ray A. nichofii (Bloch et Schneider) (Myliobatidae), respectively, collected from the northern coast of Malaysian Borneo. These are the first monogeneans to be described on elasmobranchs from Borneo. The formerly monotypic Myliocotyle (for M. pteromylaei) was distinguished from other monocotylids by the distribution and morphology of the eight sclerotised dorsal haptoral accessory structures and the morphology of the male copulatory organ. However, we have determined that M. pteromylaei has ten structures on the dorsal surface of the haptor. Myliocotyle borneoensis is distinguished from M. pteromylaei by the morphology of the male copulatory organ and its accessory piece. Myliocotyle multicrista has 12 sclerotised dorsal haptoral accessory structures and a male copulatory organ with two accessory pieces. Additional sclerotised ridges across the ventral surfaces of each loculus (except the posterior-most pair) are also present in M. multicrista. The diagnosis for Myliocotyle is revised given our discovery of additional dorsal haptoral accessory structures in the type species and to accommodate other new characters of the two new species. Anterior secretions of Myliocotyle are discussed.
Lagaropsylla signata (Wahlgren, 1903), previously known only from the Island of Java, Indonesia is redescribed and reported for the first time in Deer Cave, Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (west coast of Borneo). Many were found clinging to the earwig Arixenia esau Jordan, 1909. A similar account of a phoretic flea (Lagaropsylla turba Smit, 1958) on the same species of cave-dwelling earwig has been reported in peninsular Malaysia in a well-documented association with the hairless naked bulldog bat, Cheiromeles torquatus Horsfield, 1824. The association of Lagaropsylla signata with Arixenia esau is parallel to the evolution and co-existence with bats in Deer Cave just as in the case of Lagaropsylla turba, Arixenia esau, and Cheiromeles torquatus. The evidence suggests that Lagaropsylla turba and Lagaropsylla signata are obligate phoretic parasites whose survival depends on Arixenia esau to access a bat host. Arixenia esau is reported for the first time in Deer Cave and the occurrence of Lagaropsylla signata on the island of Borneo represented a new record, previously being found only on the island of Java. Images of Lagaropsylla signata attached to Arixenia esau are provided. Xeniaria jacobsoni (Burr, 1912), often associated with Arixenia esau in other geographical areas, was not present in the material examined from Deer Cave. The natural history of the earwig genera Arixenia Jordan, 1909 and Xeniaria Maa, 1974 are discussed and summarized relative to their associations with phoretic fleas and their bat hosts.
We report on fleas collected from small mammals in a lower mountane rainforest in the Crocker Range National Park, Sabah, Borneo. Macrostylophora durdeni n. sp., collected from Dremomys everetti and, of minor importance, Tupaia montana, is described. Further records include Gryphopsylla jacobsoni segragata and Lentistivalius vomerus from T. montana.
Medwayella traubiana n. sp., M. pfeifferi n. sp. and M. sabahae n. sp. (Pygiopsyllidae) are described from Sabah (north of Borneo island), the first two on Tupaia tana (Scandentia), the last on Sundasciurus lowii (Rodentia). Sex male is only identified, because these fleas have been collected in sympatry, or even in syntopy. Their determination is based on segment IX and aedeagus. If M. traubiana and M. pfeifferi are related to some known species, M. sabahae is clearly distinct from other Medwayella.
This species, known only by a single male, is described from Mount Kinabalu and thus is recorded from the same area as Macrostylophora borneensis (Jordan, 1926), teste Traub (1972). It is distinguished from its congeneric and characterized by the absence of eriged setae on the thorax and first abdominal tergits, as well as by the shape of terminal segments and the phallosom. Macrostylophora kinabaluae was found to parasitize the Sciurid rodent Callosciurus prevostii that is widespread throughout most areas in the Malaysian subregion.
Plasmodium knowlesi is a zoonotic malaria parasite normally residing in long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis and Macaca nemestrina, respectively) found throughout Southeast Asia. Recently, knowlesi malaria has become the predominant malaria affecting humans in Malaysian Borneo, being responsible for approximately 70% of reported cases. Largely as a result of anthropogenic land use changes in Borneo, vectors which transmit the parasite, along with macaque hosts, are both now frequently found in disturbed forest habitats, or at the forest fringes, thus having more frequent contact with humans. Having access to human hosts provides the parasite with the opportunity to further its adaption to the human immune system. The ecological drivers of the transmission and spread of P. knowlesi are operating over many different spatial (and, therefore, temporal) scales, from the molecular to the continental. Strategies to prevent and manage zoonoses, such as P. knowlesi malaria require interdisciplinary research exploring the impact of land use change and biodiversity loss on the evolving relationship between parasite, reservoir hosts, vectors, and humans over multiple spatial scales.
We report a case of leptospirosis infected in Sabah, Borneo island, Malaysia. The case is 25-year-old male who had participated in the EcoChallenge Sabah 2000 Expedition Race, a multisport event held during August 20 to September 3, 2000 at various sites in Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. He developed a high fever and headache on September 7, and he was admitted to our hospital on September 9. On admission he also had conjunctivitis and myalgias. Laboratory findings on admission revealed leukocytosis with left shift, slightly elevated transaminase levels, high CRP levels and proteinuria. Plasmodium spp. were negative on blood smears, and no bacteria were isolated from blood and feces cultures. We performed the laboratory tests for leptospirosis, based on the information about the probable leptospirosis outbreak among athletes who participated in the EcoChallenge Race, however both Leptospira antigens and antibodies were negative at that time. We diagnosed leptospirosis clinically because he manifested persistent symptoms, and minocycline 100 mg b.i.d. was administered intravenously resulting in excellent efficacy. Serum antibody tests by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) at convalescent stage revealed significant increased antibodies against Leptospira interrogans serovar hebdomadis, and the diagnosis of leptospirosis was confirmed. Infectious diseases have been global and it is important to have information concerning worldwide infectious disease situations as much as possible for accurate diagnosis.
Haemaphysalis (Garnhamphysalis) mjoebergi Warburton was reported from four male specimens from Sarawak, Borneo. We redescribe herein the male, from three specimens from Sarawak and 24 from Lampung District, Sumatra, and describe the female from 24 specimens from Lampung. Male structural variation in the dental formula and development of the coxa IV spur and segments of legs III and IV is unusual or unique in the genus Haemaphysalis. "Atypical" males might easily be misidentified. This species provides an ideal model for experimental study of population genetics and evolutionary processes and of biological factors influencing body size and structural variation in the genus Haemaphysalis. The sambar deer, Cervus unicolor brookei Hose (Sarawak) and C. unicolor equinus Cuvier (Sumatra), appears to be the chief host in humid, marshy, lowland forests and secondary growth. Single collections were from a human and a domestic cow. The dynamics and vector potential of this tick should be investigated in environments being exploited for human settlement and cattle breeding.
Seven new species of the genus Deltoplastis Meyrick are described: D. acutangulata Wang et Yu, sp. nov., D. anatoliana Wang et Park, sp. nov., D. multidentalis Wang et Yu, sp. nov. and D. similihoristis Wang et Yu, sp. nov. from China; D. aculeata Wang et Yu, sp. nov. and D. spatuliunca Wang et Yu, sp. nov. from Malaysian Borneo; and D. ovidiscalis Park et Wang, sp. nov. from Vietnam. Deltoplastis horistis (Meyrick, 1910) is newly recorded in China and its female is described for the first time. Images of adults and genitalia of the new species are provided.
Vatica mangachapoi is a tree up to 20 m tall with white resinous. It is distributed in China (Hainan province), Indonesia, Malaysia (N Borneo), Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. It grows in forests on hills and mountain slopes below 700 metres. Its durable wood is used for making boats and building bridges and houses. It has been ranked as a VU (Vulnerable) species in China. Here we report and characterize the complete plastid genome sequence of V. mangachapoi in an effort to provide genomic resources useful for promoting its conservation and phylogenetic research. The complete plastome is 151,538 bp in length and contains the typical structure and gene content of angiosperm plastome, including two Inverted Repeat (IR) regions of 23,921 bp, a Large Single-Copy (LSC) region of 83,587 bp and a Small Single-Copy (SSC) region of 20,109 bp. The plastome contains 114 genes, consisting of 80 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA gene, and 4 unique rRNA genes. The overall A/T content in the plastome of V. mangachapoi is 62.80%. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that V. mangachapoi and V. odorata is closely related and as an independent branch in Malvales in our study. The complete plastome sequence of V. mangachapoi will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species and for the phylogenetic studies for Vatica.
In an earlier special issue of this journal, Marsh & Greer summarized forest land use in Sabah at that time and gave an introduction to the Danum Valley Conservation Area. Since that assessment, during the period 1990-2010, the forests of Sabah and particularly those of the ca 10 000 km(2) concession managed on behalf of the State by Yayasan Sabah (the Sabah Foundation) have been subject to continual, industrial harvesting, including the premature re-logging of extensive tracts of previously only once-logged forest and large-scale conversion of natural forests to agricultural plantations. Over the same period, however, significant areas of previously unprotected pristine forest have been formally gazetted as conservation areas, while much of the forest to the north, the south and the east of the Danum Valley Conservation Area (the Ulu Segama and Malua Forest Reserves) has been given added protection and new forest restoration initiatives have been launched. This paper analyses these forest-management and land-use changes in Sabah during the period 1990-2010, with a focus on the Yayasan Sabah Forest Management Area. Important new conservation and forest restoration and rehabilitation initiatives within its borders are given particular emphasis.