Fauna Malesiana Terrestrica

The Fauna Malesiana Terrestrica programme covers the research activities on the past and present fauna of South-East Asia. The main theme is formulated as 'Pathways of the Terrestrial Fauna in South-East Asia'. It deals with the question how the terrestrial fauna evolved and dispersed in relation to the complex geological history of the area. Since the fauna is not well known for parts of the area and for particular groups of animals, the programme has an exploratory character as well. Participants of the programme are also involved in the dissemination of knowledge in the Netherlands and elsewhere.

Results

Recently, an interim report on the Fauna Malesiana Terrestrica programme was published, entitled Naturalis exploring biodiversity. Thirty years of zoological research in the forests of South-East Asia, edited by Rienk de Jong.

The results of the programme are diverse. In the first place, fieldwork has yielded more than 100,000 specimens to the collection, filling gaps in localities as well as species, and, in recent years, providing material that is suited for DNA analysis. Secondly, the studies of the various groups have resulted in descriptions of about 1300 new species and higher taxa, revisions of genera and higher categories, and inventories of local faunas. New species were described in such diverse groups as birds, fishes, land snails, spiders, caddisflies, dragonflies, parasitic wasps, butterflies and moths. These results have, again, been used for biogeographic analyses. Particularly the biogeography of the fauna of Sulawesi is now known in a detail that is rare for other local faunas of comparable size. At the same time, insight in the evolution of the fauna in the entire region has greatly improved.

Acquired insights have mainly been published in scientific journals, more than 9300 pages in total. In addition, they have formed the basis for numerous lectures at scientific meetings as well as meetings for a wider audience. An immaterial, yet important overall result of all these activities is the strengthening of the position of the museum as an important node in the international network of institutes where the terrestrial fauna of South-East Asia is studied.