A team of Irish students has discovered several new species of birds and a new tarsier (a tiny nocturnal primate) following an expedition to Indonesia. They are now using DNA fingerprinting to confirm their findings.
Thirteen students from Trinity College Dublin spent three months - from July to September - conducting research for a conservation project called Operation Wallacea, which has involved taxonomic and behavioural research in Indonesia for three years.
The two new birds previously believed to be red-backed thrushes (Zoothera erythronota) are now thought to be entirely new species. They may, however, disappear as quickly as they were discovered, according to one of the scientists involved in the trip.
"Unless protection is provided these species will almost certainly go extinct," said Dr Nicola Marples, behavioural ecologist in the department of zoology in Trinity College.
Dr Marples believes the newly discovered species could provide important evidence that would support the theory of "speciation". This holds that the differences between related birds or animals can gradually increase until they become so great that
the populations can no longer interbreed and they branch into separate species.
The team examined the palebellied white eye (Zosterops consobrinorum) on the island and found that many of them appeared to belong to separate species despite looking similar. If DNA samples proved they were sub-species which evolved from a common stock this would "show evidence of speciation in practice," she said. Similar findings are also being studied for another bird, the olive-backed sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis).
Deep ocean trenches separate the islands from both the Asian and Australian continents. "This is a very special area because it has experienced independent evolution," Dr Marples said. The islands had experienced isolated evolution with little or no influx of flora or fauna from outside. This would make the wildlife unique to the islands. "Buton island is effectively an evolution lab in the field," Dr Marples said.
The Trinity students first suspected that the birds they saw were new species on the basis of their physical appearance. Birds that were described as red-backed thrushes (Zoothera erythronota) had different facial markings to red-backed thrushes found on other islands. However, "the defining lines between species are not very clear," Dr Marples explained and feathers were collected for DNA analysis as supportive evidence.
The discovery of new species strengthens the case for conservation, according to Dr Marples. She said that if these were members of new species the numbers of the already rare original species would be even lower than expected. These birds are found only on these islands, which makes their survival even more precarious. This extremely narrow range of distribution made them "immensely rare", she said. "Unless sufficient protection is provided, many species will almost certainly go extinct." Nature reserves were of importance to both new and old species but there was also a need for "rigorous control" of the reserves.
The main threat to wildlife was large-scale transmigration of people between the Indonesian islands. Local residents clear the forests for agriculture and logging. People also eat many bird species and their eggs.
"Education is hugely needed," Dr Marples said. "Many bird species such as the milky stork (Mycteria cinerea) and the maleo (Macrocephalon maleo) are extremely rare but local people are just not aware that they are dying out. Really lacking is any idea that their animals are special."
She felt that education could make a real impact, as the responses of local people she spoke to were "very positive about the idea of looking after their animals". In many areas, work done by Operation Wallacea so far was the first real attempt to investigate the status of wildlife. While a lot of progress had been made with important taxonomic work "nothing at all was known about behaviour" and further studies were urgently needed.
The expedition has a web page on Operation Wallacea. The address is: http:// www.operationwallacea.win-uk.net