Date: August 2, 2016
Source: Taylor & Francis
A team of scientists have
undertaken detective work to trace the origin of the first orangutan specimen
to be scientifically named Pongo
pygmaeus. By tracing the history of the specimen as accurately as they can,
the team have established Banjarmasin, in the Indonesian part of Borneo, as the
most likely place of origin. Their findings are published in the Journal
of Natural History.
Genetic evidence has suggested
that there are two species of orangutan, the Bornean Pongo pygmaeus, and the Sumatran Pongo abelii, and corroborates evidence from skulls and teeth that
there are at least three Bornean orangutan subspecies.
Unfortunately, the scientific
names currently used for these subspecies are suspect, as are their presently
defined geographic distributions and, given 18th century colonial rivalries, it
was not even certain that the name Pongo
pygmaeus belongs to the Bornean species.
Three Australian and British
researchers therefore set out to try to establish the origins of the specimens
on which the contending orangutan scientific names are based. The investigation
was not straightforward, as the original specimen dates from the 18th century,
when records were sporadic, and pirates proved to be a deterrent to early 19th
century exploration of north Borneo.
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