Comparative phylogeography of three primate species in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia

This study investigates the population genetic structure of three primate species living in forest fragments of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (LKWS), Sabah, Malaysia. The sanctuary is surrounded by oil palm plantations and human settlements but still retains high diversity of both flora and fauna. LKWS is famous for its orang-utan and proboscis monkey populations but also supports Sabah's eight other primate species. The current study investigated the effects of forest fragmentation and geographical barriers, especially the Kinabatangan River, on three species of primates with different social systems and dispersal abilities. The orang-utan is a large bodied, solitary ape that is incapable of swimming whereas the proboscis monkey and the long-tailed macaque, are smaller bodied, live in large groups and are good swimmers. Using non-invasive samples (faeces), we sequenced approximately 100 individuals from each of these three primates using the left domain (and right domain for long-tailed macaques) of the mitochondrial control region. High levels of genetic diversity were detected in the proboscis monkey and long-tailed macaque, but lower levels were detected in the orang-utan. There are four general conclusions from the current study. Firstly, non-invasive faecal samples are viable for large scale studies on these wild primate populations. Secondly, mitochondrial DNA is an informative marker for population studies due to its high levels of polymorphism over small spatial scales (with the left domain of the control region providing better resolution then the right domain). Thirdly, the social structure of primate species profoundly influences patterns of mitochondrial genetic diversity. Finally, dispersal patterns greatly influence the mitochondrial genetic structure of these populations. The implications of these findings for the future of Borneo primates and conservation of Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and Sabah are discussed

Comparative phylogeography of three primate species in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia

This study investigates the population genetic structure of three primate species living in forest fragments of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (LKWS), Sabah, Malaysia. The sanctuary is surrounded by oil palm plantations and human settlements but still retains high diversity of both flora and fauna. LKWS is famous for its orang-utan and proboscis monkey populations but also supports Sabah's eight other primate species. The current study investigated the effects of forest fragmentation and geographical barriers, especially the Kinabatangan River, on three species of primates with different social systems and dispersal abilities. The orang-utan is a large bodied, solitary ape that is incapable of swimming whereas the proboscis monkey and the long-tailed macaque, are smaller bodied, live in large groups and are good swimmers. Using non-invasive samples (faeces), we sequenced approximately 100 individuals from each of these three primates using the left domain (and right domain for long-tailed macaques) of the mitochondrial control region. High levels of genetic diversity were detected in the proboscis monkey and long-tailed macaque, but lower levels were detected in the orang-utan. There are four general conclusions from the current study. Firstly, non-invasive faecal samples are viable for large scale studies on these wild primate populations. Secondly, mitochondrial DNA is an informative marker for population studies due to its high levels of polymorphism over small spatial scales (with the left domain of the control region providing better resolution then the right domain). Thirdly, the social structure of primate species profoundly influences patterns of mitochondrial genetic diversity. Finally, dispersal patterns greatly influence the mitochondrial genetic structure of these populations. The implications of these findings for the future of Borneo primates and conservation of Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and Sabah are discussed.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Gastrointestinal protozoan parasites amongst school children in Inanam, Sabah

Intestinal parasitosis is still an important public health problem. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal protozoan parasites (GIP) in schoolchilden and its association with socio-economic and environmental factors. A series of sample collections for stool was carried out in Sekolah Kebangsaan Inanam II, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Samples from 100 schoolchildren were examined by direct smear and formol-ether concentration techniques. The modified Kato-Katz technique was performed to estimate the parasitic burden, expressed in the number of protozoa per gram of stool. The proportion of overall infected samples was 31%. When ranked by proportion, parasite loads were found as follows: Entamoeba histolytica (83.87%), Giardia lamblia (35.48%), Entamoeba coli (22.58%), Entamoeba hartmanni (25.81%), Iodamoeba butschlii (19.35%) and Endolimax nana (6.45%). Both single and double infections in the study had equal percentages (35.48%), followed triple infection (29.03%). There were no significant effects of protozoan infection on weight, height, attendance to school and examination results of the schoolchildren (Independent Group t-Test; p > 0.05). No significant association were found between the protozoan infection and the socio-economic and environmental factors (gender, age, occupation status of mother, house area category and the degree of household crowding). We conclude that the parasitic burden amongst the schoolchildren of Sekolah Kebangsaan Inanam II is minimal and is of less concerned

Taxonomy, geographic variation and population genetics of Bornean and Sumatran orangutans

This chapter reviews the published data and discusses the taxonomy and population genetics of orangutans. The orangutan was traditionally classified as two separate subspecies, Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus in Borneo and P. p. abelii in Sumatra. Recent molecular data have suggested a re-classification into two separate species: P. pygmaeus in Borneo and P. abelii in Sumatra. Moreover, three subspecies have been described on Borneo Island: P. p. pygmaeus in Sarawak and west Kalimantan, P. p. morio in Sabah and east Kalimantan and P. p. wurmbii in central and south Kalimantan. Despite this, little is known about the intra-subspecific variation between isolated Bornean populations and among the Sumatran populations. More data are needed, which should include a large sampling of all geographically separated populations in Borneo and Sumatra in order to provide a more complete genetic information database

Inventory of lepidoptera: Rhopalocera in lowlnad rain forests of Sabah: A quantative assessment of beta-diversity

Butterflies are an abundant and diverse group of animals and a conspicuous part of virtually all of the world's terrestrial ecosystems (New, 1997). They appeal to people in a unique way, and in the popular mind, people often separate "butterflies" from "insects," as if these are different groups of animals. Studying and watching butterflies perhaps ranks second only to ornithology as a pastime for naturalists interested in animal life (Pyle, 1992). Unlike most other insects, even their closest relatives the moths, butterflies are accepted readily as aesthetically and culturally desirable (New, 1997). They are seen as being intrinsically worthy of protection. Conservation of butterflies is also a field of increasing interest in many parts of the world. It is important to communicate the need for invertebrate conservation to people who might not otherwise be sympathetic to it. Butterflies are an important flagship group for advocacy of invertebrates - a bridge between the publicly acceptable world of conserving mammals and birds, and the widespread antagonism toward the mass of less conspicuous animals that dominate our natural world (New, 1997). Recently, many species have declined markedly in abundance, or become extinct due to environmental pollution, habitat disturbance, and loss of vegetation as a consequence of human activities

Unravelling the Effects of Soluble Dietary Fibre Supplementation on Energy Intake and Perceived Satiety in Healthy Adults: Evidence from Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised-Controlled Trials

Consumption of soluble dietary fibre is recommended as part of a healthy diet. Evidence has shown that soluble dietary fibre slows gastric emptying, increases perceived satiety and plays a significant role in appetite regulation. This systematic review examined the effects of soluble dietary fibre using randomised-controlled trials (RCTs). Three different electronic databases were used, namely PubMed, Scopus® and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Effect size (Cohen’s d) was calculated based on the intergroup mean difference and standard deviation (SD) followed by Cochran’s Q and I2 determination. The effect size was statistically pooled in the meta-analyses and presented as a forest plot. The risk of bias was high for each study as assessed using the Jadad scale. Meta-analysis of statistically pooled data for guar gum showed a sizeable effect on post-meal energy intake, followed by β-glucan, alginate, polydextrose and pectin, with pooled effect sizes of −0.90, −0.44, −0.42, −0.36 and −0.26, respectively. Guar gum (5 g) effectively reduced energy intake when prepared in milk beverages compared with control milk (p < 0.001). Alginate, when prepared in liquid (5 g) or solid (9 g) meals, effectively reduced energy intake compared with control (p < 0.001). A high dose of polydextrose (25 g) prepared in liquid meal form significantly reduced energy intake (p = 0.01). This study suggests that soluble fibres are not all created equal. Further interventional studies are needed to determine whether combinations of these soluble fibres might have greater effects than individual fibres per se