Our lives depend on them

It is easy to take for granted the functions that FRUITS serve us and animals. Try to imagine a life without your favourite breakfast of nasi lemak (coconut rice) if you are a Malaysian, cereals and bread if you are from United Kingdom or United States of America. What rice, cereals and bread have in common is that they all are fruits from the Grass family (Poaceae). Thousands of years of careful selection, breeding and cultivation have created the optimal varieties for human needs; from nutritional content, to desirable looks and ease of harvest by mechanization. The artifact Grassy Starch will astound the viewers with an appreciation of the inherently simple yet spiritual beauty from the humble cereals

Survival of the fittest

It is the innate wisdom of nature that to continue to the next generation, a species needs to survive. Many species have adapted to their environment in various ways as illustrated in these five artefacts

Magnificent life of birds

We, humans can learn a lot from studying nature past and present; hence, the importance of a Natural History Museum in each country. The records that are preserved and kept for aeons can give us a glimpse of what was, and prepare us for what will be. Our climate changes and we have to adapt to survive. The lessons from the bird group as pollinators ensure the continuation of the plant species. There are flowers solely pollinated by birds such as that by hummingbirds

The curator and the recycler

The bowerbirds of the family Ptilonorhynchida are famous for their elaborate structure which are an important tool in their courtship rituals. The structure is constructed to be a bower (gazebo-like) from twigs. Outside the spacious cavern the bowerbird decorates its lawn with individual clusters of brightly coloured fruits and flowers, iridescent beetles’ wings, shells, and other items that it deems attractive. The whole purpose of this huge effort is to have a space to show off his song and dance in wooing the females. Thus the female bowerbird becomes the judge of his curatorial and courtship skills. The female bowerbird later builds a nest for laying eggs on the trees

Root endophytes: A new dimension in plant conservation

Root endophytes have long been recognized as an integral aspect of plant ecology. However, apart from mycorrhizal fungi sensu stricto, little is known of the biological function of these organisms. Increasing evidence of an important biological role, gained from specific studies from a wide variety of different plant roots, point to a significant ecological role. A specific study on Paphiopedilum barbatum (Orchidaceae) shows an average of 10 different endophytic fungal taxa, including mycorrhizal fungi, pathogenic as well as neutral saprophytic and mycoparasitic species, colonizing the roots of these plants. Colonization frequently occurs simultaneously, with up to 4 different taxa recovered from single 0.5 mm root segments. Fungal colonization varies based on differences in site-specific factors, but appears otherwise non-specific. A better understanding of root endophytes may assist in designing conservation programs with a higher success potential, especially for recalcitrant species that perform poorly once outside their natural habitats

Plant nervous system

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula: Droseraceae) has one of the most rapid movements in the plant kingdom. It can catch insects with its toothed modified leaves that snap shut when triggered by prey, touching the tiny hairs on the inner leaf surface

Forensic DNA profiling of tropical timber species in Peninsular Malaysia.

Illegal logging poses a significant threat to the sustainability of tropical forest ecosystems. By using Neobalanocarpus heimii (Dipterocarpaceae) as an example, the study assessed the feasibility of using short tandem repeats (STRs) as a tool to identify the source of illegally logged timber. Thirty natural populations of N. heimii were profiled using 12 STRs to develop the DNA profiling databases. As the cluster analysis divided the 30 populations into three genetic clusters, corresponding to three subregions within Peninsular Malaysia. The DNA databases were characterised at the levels of population, subregion and Peninsular Malaysia. Independence tests within and among loci were violated in all the databases due to significant levels of population differentiation and inbreeding. Thus, the effects of population substructure and inbreeding should be incorporated into the calculation of random match probability. The random match probabilities estimated using subpopulation and subpopulation-cum-inbreeding models were biased in favour of the defendant, whereas the random match probabilities estimated using product rule were biased in favour of the prosecutor. The conservativeness tests showed that the subregion and Peninsular Malaysia databases were conservative, and these databases should be able to provide legal evidence for court proceedings against illegal loggers in Peninsular Malaysia