Mammalian Evolutionary Histories in Southeast Asia
Summary
Southeast Asia has long acted as a crucible for mammalian diversification, shaped by complex geological events, fluctuating sea levels and climatic oscillations. From the uplift of mainland mountain ranges to the repeated isolation and reconnection of islands during the Pleistocene, this region fostered both endemic radiations and faunal exchanges with neighbouring provinces. Early Miocene deposits document the arrival and diversification of perissodactyls and proboscideans, whereas the Late Pleistocene fossil record reveals remarkable examples of insular dwarfism and endemism. Molecular phylogeography of modern lineages—rodents, small carnivores and primates—has corroborated fossil evidence, demonstrating that repeated vicariance across the Sunda Shelf promoted genetic subdivision. Meanwhile, comparisons of dental and cranial morphology in extinct bovids and rhinocerotids have refined our understanding of regional biogeography, revealing faunal interchange between mainland Sundaland and the Greater Sunda Islands. Collectively, these studies underscore the global significance of Southeast Asia as both a refugium during glacial maxima and a source of novel mammalian diversity.
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Mammalian Evolutionary Histories in Southeast Asia publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mammalian evolutionary histories in southeast asia across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sundaland: The biogeographical region comprising the Malay Peninsula and the Greater Sunda Islands (Borneo, Sumatra, Java) as exposed land during Pleistocene low sea levels.
Phylogeography: The study of historical processes—such as dispersal and vicariance—that have shaped the geographic distributions of genealogical lineages.
Insular dwarfism: An evolutionary phenomenon in which large-bodied species isolated on islands evolve reduced body size in response to limited resources and predator absence.
References
- First occurrence of Duboisia (Bovidae, Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from Thailand. Fossil Record (2018).
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