Podcasts about Malay Archipelago

Summary: How many species of Nepenthes are there and where are they found? Join Kiersten as she takes you on a trip to discover the Nepenthes species.   For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean   Show Notes:  Nepenthes. Wikipedia (This page is well referenced). “Caught in a Trap,” The Biologist 62(2) p12-14. Tropical Pitcher Plant-Nepenthes. Carnivorous Plant Resource. https://www.carnivorousplantresourcs.com Nepenthes Phylogeny, International Carnivorous Plant Society. https://www.carnivorousplants.org Music written and performed by Katherine Camp   Transcript (Piano music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode podcast about unknown or misunderstood wildlife. (Piano music stops) Welcome to Ten Things I Like About… I'm Kiersten, your host, and this is a podcast about misunderstood or unknown creatures in nature. Some we'll find right out side our doors and some are continents away but all are fascinating.  This podcast will focus ten, ten minute episodes on different animals and their amazing characteristics. Please join me on this extraordinary journey, you won't regret it. The second episode of Nepenthes is all about species and where they are found. They do prefer areas similar to Rafflesia but they are more widespread.  Let's start from the beginning with the classification of Nepenthes. We have talked about scientific classification before but as a quick refresher this classification method is used to help determine the number of species within a group of living things. It helps scientists and researchers  determine who is related to whom. It is constantly evolving as classification methods are continually changing. It began with visual similarities between living creatures, then behaviors were incorporated, and with the advent of DNA testing classification has jumped forward and some things have been turned on its ear. Classification for Nepenthes is a follows: Kingdom - Planta (Plants) Subkingdom - Tracheobionta (Vascular Plants) Superdivision - Spematophyta (Seed Plants) Division - Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants) Class - Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons) Subclass - Dilleniidae Order - Nepenthales Family - Nepenthaceae Genus - Nepenthes Species names will follow genus. So how many species of Nepenthes are there? To tell you the truth, I'm not totally sure. My research for this episode lead me to sources that said 30 to 35, 140, and as many as 170. The International Carnivore Plant Society says Nepenthes species numbers are in excess of 100. I think we'll go with that number because it gives a bit of wiggle room. I'm inclined to believe this site because they get crazy scientific when discussing the origins of modern day Nepenthes. One of the most interesting things I could decipher from this blog is that the modern day Nepenthes genus has no close relatives. So when digging into the evolutionary history of this genus, there are no transitional species that can lead us back to an ancestral beginning. Maybe these wicked cool pitcher plants are so perfect they've never evolved from their original template.  Let's take a closer look at a few Nepenthes species. One of the largest species of Nepenthes is Nepenthes rajah that grows pitchers large enough to hold 3.5 liters or 1 US gallon of liquid. That's a pretty big pitcher plant. Nepenthes rajah traps are large enough to drown rats. They are known as the “king of the pitcher plants”. As an aside Nepenthes rajah is also the largest carnivorous plant in the world.  Nepenthes argentii is considered to be the smallest species of pitcher plants with a pitcher opening of 2-4 millimeters and a pitcher size of 30 cm. That's a pretty tiny pitcher plant.  The rarest species of known Nepenthes is Nepenthes clipeata. Only 15 individual plants were known to exist in the wild in 1997. It's found only on the granite cliff faces of Mount Kelam in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. It may very well be extinct today.  Nepenthes mirabilis is the most widely distributed species of Nepenthes. It is found in Indochina throughout the Malay Archipelago, it is found in China and also Australia. This species varies greatly in color throughout its vast range. So where are these plants found in the wild? They are mainly found in the Old World Tropics, ranging from South China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. There are two species found in Madagascar and one species found in the Seychelles. Nepenthes are also found in Australia and New Caledonia. India and Sri Lanka also host a few Nepenthes species. The greatest diversity of Nepenthes are found in Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines. What kind of habitats do Nepenthes favor? Like Rafflesia, many pitcher plants of this species are found in hot, humid lowland rainforests but some are found in other habitats. Many are tropical montane plants found on the side of mountains where they experience warm days and cool to cold, humid nights. Some are tropical alpine species that grow in areas that have cool days and near freezing nights.  The majority of species are restricted to small ranges within these different habitats. Some of them may only be found on one mountain and no where else, like Nepenthes clipeata.  Nepenthes species are often classified as lowland species or highland species based on the altitudes at which they grow. Those that grow below 1200 meters or 3900 feet above sea level are considered lowland and thrive with warmer climates that vary little temperature-wise from day to night. Highland species that grow above 1200 meters prefer warm days that bleed into much cooler nights. Nepenthes lamii grows at the highest altitude of any other Nepenthes species, 3520 meters or 11,500 feet above sea level. Most Nepenthes species tend to be found in environments with high humidity, a lot of precipitation, and moderate to high light levels. Some species have evolved to thrive in dense, shaded forests. Many species do well on the margins of tree and shrub communities or clearings. Some species such as Nepenthes mirabilis have been seen growing in clear-cut forest areas, roadsides, and disturbed fields. There are even species that have adapted to grow in savanna-like grass habitats. These amazing plants tend to grow in acidic soils that boast little nutrients and often contain peat, white sand, sandstone, or volcanic soils. Some species can grow in soils with high heavy metal content, such as Nepenthes rajah, some can grow on sandy beaches in the sea spray zone such as Nepenthes albomarginata. Soil isn't always necessary for pitcher plants to grow as some have evolved into lithophytes that can grow in or on rocks while others are epiphytes that grow on other plants, like trees. We've taken quite a ride in the second epidote of Nepenthes and my second favorite thing about them, is where they are found. If you're enjoying this podcast please recommend me to friends and family and take a moment to give me a rating on whatever platform you're listening. It will help me reach more listeners and give the animals I talk about an even better chance at change.  Join me next week for another episode about Nepenthes.       (Piano Music plays)  This has been an episode of Ten Things I like About with Kiersten and Company. Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp, piano extraordinaire.

Amberjade Arts are presenting a new work, Son of the Forest, which was inspired by Malay Archipelago folk tales. Written and directed by Tarrant Kwok, this thought-provoking production explores the tension between sacrifice, conquest, and the shared stories that define us. The play which is being presented as part of Theatre Takeover: Cosmic '24, also delves into traditional male and female roles in narratives, unravelling old tropes, while reflecting on the cyclical tragedies of modern life. We find out what's in store from Tarrant, who is also the show's technical designer.Image Credit: Amberjade Arts via CloudTheatre

Born in 1823, Alfred Russel Wallace was a pioneering naturalist and biologist whose significant contributions to the field of natural history paralleled those of Charles Darwin. Wallace independently formulated the theory of evolution through natural selection, a concept he developed during his extensive explorations of the Malay Archipelago, and his groundbreaking work in the 19th century is said to have laid the foundation for modern evolutionary biology. Wallace's collections from the Malay Archipelago included a vast array of specimens, from insects to birds, providing crucial evidence for his evolutionary theories, and his book, "The Malay Archipelago," chronicles his travels and observations, offering invaluable insights into the region's biodiversity and cultural diversity. We reflect on his life with Palaeontologist & Zooarchaeologist Lim Tze Tshen, who is attached with the Sarawak Museum and the Geology Dept of Universiti Malaya, to mark the bicentenary of Wallace's birth, and to discuss how Wallace's life and legacy continue to inspire and shape our understanding of the natural world.Image Credit: Natural History Museum, PBS, Wikimedia CommonsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malay Archipelago, Volume 2 The Land of the Orang-utan and the Bird of Paradise; A Narrative of Travel, with Studies of Man and Nature

In this episode, Drs Jones and J. Casey Hammond discuss China and their 5g network and tensions with Huawei and the United States. J. Casey Hammond is a China and Southeast Asian affairs analyst, university lecturer, and independent researcher. He received his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MCP in Economic Development and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"Odette, Omicron, and Geriatric Millennials" BLAST FROM THE PAST (feat. Amiel "Cortz" Cortes) An Excerpt: Season 3, Episode 33, Rated-PG13 "Lay Back" | Music by Brian Withycombe VISAYAS ART FAIR 2021 presented the Visayan arts and culture to the world last November 2021, which housed over 1,000 artworks from 400 artists in over 40 art events; featuring diverse galleries and creatives. ODETTE was a powerful CAT-5 tropical cyclone that hit the Philippines last December 16, 2021. Also known as "Rai," its damages to the Philippines surmounted to a combined total of $1.02bn. One of the highly urbanized cities that got heavily affected and disrupted was Cebu City. And with over 1M residents, electricity and running water were scarce and rationed; also disrupting food, gas, and other supplies distribution until March 2022. The digital working class was also thrown into disarray, whose work heavily depended on connection: electricity and internet; delaying projects to its cancelation while in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic. OMICRON is a COVID-19 variant as a result of mutation that multiplies 70x faster, but is less severe than its previous strains after a 3rd shot of COVID-19 vaccine or booster. YOLANDA was the deadliest Pacific cyclone that hit the Philippines on November 3, 2013. With an est. damage of $2.2bn, its damages to Tacloban, Leyte was the most destructive with effects likened to a tsunami. Also known as "Haiyan," it also affected Cebu and Bohol two weeks after the 7.2. magnitude Bohol earthquake on October 15, 2013. The MALAY ARCHIPELAGO is an island chain between mainland Indochina and Australia that includes the Philippines. The name was a 19th-century Euro concept that also called it "East Indies" and "Spices Archipelago". ABS-CBN is a Philippine commercial broadcast network. And on May 5, 2020, the company was issued a cease-and-desist order by the government after their network's franchise license renewal application was denied. As an effect, this halted their free-to-air (FTA) terrestrial broadcasting services (e.g., newscasting) in the Philippines, which included the remotest places in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. GERIATRIC MILLENNIAL is an oxymoron for a special micro-generation born in the early 1980s that are comfortable with both analog and digital forms of communication. It was first popularized by author and leadership expert Erica Dhawan through her article, "Why the Hybrid Workforce of the Future Depends on the 'Geriatric Millennial'" last April 22, 2021 on the Medium.com platform. According to UrbanDictionary.com, a geriatric millennial is on the cusp/brink (of social extinction), and are the oldest "breed" of millennial "out there," but still acts like a "true millennial". On the TikTok platform, everyone born after 1998 is now considered "old" by Gen Z content creators and influencers. NET WORTH is the value of all assets minus the total of all liabilities. In other words, it is what's owned minus what is owed. A positive net worth also indicates that one's assets outweigh one's liabilities, and generally means one is on the right track to building wealth. DESCRIPTION: Podcast Historias with @alpheccaperpetua • Presented/Hosted by Alphecca Perpetua • Arranged, Mixed, and Mastered by Alphecca Perpetua • Produced by Alphecca Perpetua & Brent Kohnan • Distributed by Studio Historias • about.studiohistorias.com • Cebu, Philippines 6000 • All Rights Reserved © 2022 DISCLAIMER: The assumptions, views, opinions, and insinuations made by the host and guests do not reflect those of the show, the management, and the companies affiliated. A few information in this podcast episode may contain errors or inaccuracies; we do not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the content. If you think you own the rights to any of the material used and wish for the material not be used, please contact Studio Historias via email at askstudiohistorias@gmail.com.

This episode—which is Number 46—is about  a special place in the Malay Archipelago where two bird worlds collide. This region lies between Southeast Asia and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. And it's crowded with about 25,000 islands, of all sizes.Specifically, we'll be looking at a geographic feature called Wallace's Line. More generally, today's episode will touch on the topic of biogeography.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds)

As a nod to Darwin Day and Black History Month, today’s ID the Future spotlights the racist thinking of Charles Darwin and the scientific racism fueled by Darwinism and Darwinists. As guest and historian Michael Flannery notes, Darwin’s followers, including Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton, took ideas found in Darwin’s work and used them to vigorously press the case for eugenics, a movement that came to have a horrifying impact for American blacks in the twentieth century, including for thousands who were subjected to forced sterilizations.  Was Darwin’s racism purely a function of his time and place, Victorian England? Flannery says no, and on two counts. First, he says that the co-discoverer of the theory of evolution by natural selection, Alfred Read More › Source

Featuring: Steve Collins Sumatra is the second largest (after Borneo) of the Greater Sunda Islands, in the Malay Archipelago. It is separated in the northeast from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca and in the south from Java by the Sunda Strait. READ MORE HERE

Claudia talks to well-known author Carl Safina about ‘animal culture' and how culture is a crucial part of how some animals come to understand and experience the world. They chat about the incredible ways culture manifests in animals' experiences and touch on what a serious consideration of animal culture could mean for conservation efforts.  Date recorded: 25 August 2020 Carl Safina grew up raising pigeons, training hawks and owls, and spending as many days and nights in the woods and on the water as he could. He is known for hislyrical non-fiction writing which fuses scientific understanding, emotional connection, and a moral call to action noting how humans are changing the living world, and what the changes mean for non-human beings and for us all. Safina is the author of ten books including his classic Song for the Blue Ocean, the New York Times Bestseller Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel and his most recent title, Becoming Wild; How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, TIME, The Guardian, and the National Geographic, amongst others. He has won numerous literary prizes including the MacArthur “genius” prize and the John Burroughs, James Beard, and George Rabb medals. In addition to his writing Safina was the host of the PBS series Saving the Ocean, he is the first Endowed Professor for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University, and he is the founding president of the not-for-profit Safina Center. Connect with Carl Safina on his website (www.carlsafina.org), through his non-for-profit (www.safinacenter.org) or on Twitter (@Carl Safina). Claudia (Towne) Hirtenfelder is the founder and host of The Animal Turn. She is a PhD Candidate in Geography and Planning at Queen's University and is currently undertaking her own research project looking at the historical relationships between animals (specifically cows) and cities. Contact Claudia via email (towne@live.co.za) or follow her on Twitter (@ClaudiaFTowne). Featured:  Chimp Vs Human: Memory Test by the BBC; Crowboarding: Russian roof-surfin' bird caught on tape by Aleksey Vnukov; Black Swans Surfing at the Gold Coast, Australia;  S4:E19 – Carl Safina Becoming Wild by Species Unite; The Social Contractby Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace; The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod by Henry Beston. Thank you to Animals in Philosophy, Politics, Law and Ethics (A.P.P.L.E) for sponsoring this podcast, Gordon Clarke (Instagram: @_con_sol_) for the bed music, and Jeremy John (Website) for the logo.  The Animal Turn is part of the  iROAR, an Animals Podcasting Network and can also be found on A.P.P.L.E, Twitter, and Instagram

Episode Notes Hello and welcome to the Chip Away podcast, my names Adam and I talk with passionate construction professionals and try to chip away at what it is to build, create and shape the landscape we live in. My guest for this episode is Terrence Yii. Originally from Malaysia, Terrance is a project manager for a Construction company here in Christchurch, New Zealand. Terrance has a background in the industry that spans multiple countries and disciplines and brings together experiences and perspectives from other industries that has given him a unique way of solving construction problems. Although many aspects of construction are similar across the world, its also true that each place do things in their own way. Here in New Zealand, and especially in Christchurch in the earthquake re-build we have a lot of foreign professionals coming in and contributing to our industry across all levels. One of the reasons I wanted to speak with Terrance is to give a voice to the stories of the many hard-working foreign workers that are helping re-build and reimagine our city. Many, like Terrance have left their family overseas and make daily sacrifices to improve not only their own situation, but that of our infrastructure and we are all very great full for their efforts. We speak on the contrasts and similarities of construction practises and cultures between countries and Terrance shares some hair-raising stories of his experiences on job sites in the Malay Archipelago. To stay up to date then please consider subscribing to the show at wherever you get your podcasts and leaving a cheeky wee review! You can also stay up to date with whats going on here by following me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipawaycarpenter/ You can also checkout my website: https://chip-away-podcast.pinecast.co Or flick me an email @ chipawaypodcast@gmail.com Im always looking for guests on the show so get in touch! Thanks for listening and until next time, keep chipping away!

Alfred Russel Wallace was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He is best known for independently conceiving the theory of evolution through natural selection; his paper on the subject was jointly published with some of Charles Darwin's writings in 1858. This prompted Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species. Like Darwin, Wallace did extensive fieldwork; first in the Amazon River basin, and then in the Malay Archipelago, where he identified the faunal divide now termed the Wallace Line, which separates the Indonesian archipelago into two distinct parts: a western portion in which the animals are largely of Asian origin, and an eastern portion where the fauna reflect Australasia.

Around the world, there are hundreds and thousands of cuisines and sub-cuisines. It’s near impossible to understand and taste them all. So when we’re faced with a foreign cuisine, how should we seek to understand it? How should we think about food we’re unfamiliar with, other people’s food? We grapple with that, and more, through the story of the Chettis, a marginalized, multiracial community in Southeast Asia. The Chettis date back to the 15th century, originating from traders and sailors from India who settled down in the Malay Archipelago and married into the local community. Today, there are less than 500 Chettis in Malaysia, and their food and culture is dwindling with each passing generation, and most Malaysians have never even heard of them. So on this episode, we learn about the Chettis, and do our best to understand their food. (Connect with us at takeabaopodcast.com, or on Instagram @jun.and.tonic.)

Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us, yep it is our 2nd birthday episode. We wish to say thank you to everyone who listens to us. We really appreciate all the support and encouragement we have received. It has been an amazing experience that we have all enjoyed on the Nerds team. Well, here is to another year of Nerdity and fun, we hope you enjoy everything as we continue to look for those items we enjoy learning about and discussing. First up this week Buck brings us news that Global Warming is being slowed by a phenomenon known as Global Greening. Apparently all the carbon emissions have provided a positive impact for the trees and plants. Now, this is only a small impact and not enough to celebrate with street parties, but still it is some good news. So with this news coming to light and in the wake of the recent bushfires in Australia it might be a good idea to plant some trees or bushes to help the environment. If nothing else it will give the computers and consoles a break for an hour or two. Next up DJ has the first reactions to the new Dune movie, and it is looking promising. Of course Professor and Buck being the fans they are have some reservations, but are excited to see the latest offering when it is released. There is the usual discussion about who might be the best option for director, what were the failures in the previous movies; and what were the successes from them as well. But hopefully one day an offering will be presented that is worthy of Frank Herbert’s legendary work. DJ continues with a discussion on the impact of the Coronavirus on the Chinese film industry. There have been major disruptions in the Chinese economy and a large section of the industry is on hold while China tries to combat this epidemic. We discuss the broad effects of this, but we wish everyone well and hope that this is contained and treated soon. Professor has a list of 14 new games that are planned to be released this next fiscal year by EA. We have a look at the offerings and discuss what we think is the most exciting or interesting of these releases. Now it might interest you to know that what we found as the most interesting games to look forward to. We will tell you, to find out listen in and learn what are the games being released that Professor is most interested to see. Also what game Buck thinks should move across to the EA studio catalogue; and what he thinks is an approach to the new Battlefield game if the crew behind Star Citizen were involved. As usual we have the Shout outs, Remembrances, Birthdays, and Events of Interest for the week. We invite you to check out MySongsSuck, with our man Alex Smith. Also there is there offering of The Story Chunder, which is sure to delight some and perchance disgust others. As always remember to take care of yourselves, look out for each other, and stay hydrated.Global Greening - https://phys.org/news/2020-01-planet-greener-global.html - https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-019-0001-x First reaction to the new Dune movie are out -https://boundingintocomics.com/2020/01/30/early-reactions-to-denis-villeneuves-dune-describe-it-as-phenomenal-compared-to-lord-of-the-rings/Next victim of the coronavirus hitlist…the Chinese film industry -https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinas-film-industry-takes-stock-market-beating-as-trading-resumes-coronavirus-crisis-1275718EA’s plan for 2020…. release 14 games - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-01-31-ea-planning-to-publish-14-games-next-fiscal-yearGames PlayedProfessor– Quake - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2310/QUAKE/ Rating – 2.5/5Buck– Hero Wars - https://www.facebook.com/herowarsgame/Rating – 1.5/5DJ– Ironsight - https://store.steampowered.com/app/715220/Ironsight/Rating – 2/5Other topics discussedOne climate change prediction being wrong - https://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/11/12/one-of-the-longest-running-climate-prediction-blunders-has-disappeared-from-the-internet/Gulf Stream (warm and swift Atlanticocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and stretches to the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean as the North Atlantic Current.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream2019 Ozone Hole is the smallest since its smallest- https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/2019-ozone-hole-is-the-smallest-on-record-since-its-discoveryWorld’s tallest timber tower in Norway- https://www.dezeen.com/2019/03/19/mjostarne-worlds-tallest-timber-tower-voll-arkitekter-norway/One way to curb climate change: suck carbon from the sky - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/carbon-capture-trees-atmosphere-climate-change/Petra (originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu, is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. The site appeared in films such as: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,Arabian Nights, Passion in the Desert, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger,The Mummy Returns, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,Samsara and Kajraare.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (also known as Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker) is a 2019 American epicspace opera film produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Rise_of_SkywalkerFremen (a group of people in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FremenBene Gesserit (a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bene_GesseritDune (1984 American epicscience fiction adventure film written and directed by David Lynch and based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(1984_film)The Chronicles of Narnia film series (The Chronicles of Narnia series of films is based on The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of novels by C. S. Lewis. From the seven books, three were adapted —The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(film_series)WHO: Coronavirus is now a public health emergency- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coronavirus-who-declares-global-virus-emergencyBriton who contracted Wuhan virus claims he beat illness with this drink : hot toddy- https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1237119/coronavirus-cure-uk-symptoms-virus-wuhan-hot-toddy-whisky-honey Battlefield 2142 (2006 first-person shooter video game developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_2142Original Quake 1 Soundtrack by Trent Reznor- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVOHTGYoM6ELongest single spaceflight in history by a woman, NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth.- https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/record-setting-nasa-astronaut-crewmates-return-from-space-stationJunkers Ju 87 (German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War and served the Axis forces in World War II.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_87My Songs Suck (TNC Podcast)- https://thatsnotcanon.com/mysongssuckpodNick Cave: Selected Works featuring Your Man Alex Smith from My Songs Suck- https://www.facebook.com/events/904564969910195/The Story Chunder (The Story Chunder at Back Dock Arts. Every week a new lot of cunning linguists will spew forth their most entertaining stories for your delight or disapproval.)- https://www.facebook.com/thestorychunder/Shout Outs - 31 January 2020 – Mary Higgins Clark died – https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/books/mary-higgins-clark-dead.html?fbclid=IwAR1CCn7f-sSFWZavHhCCmJIuRNXPic-6SuB29yWK1_91B6sVUoLkbcZq-AgMary Higgins Clark, a fixture on best-seller lists for decades whose more than 50 novels earned her the sobriquet Queen of Suspense. Ms. Higgins Clark, whose books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone, was still writing until recently, her daughter said, and had a book published in November. Her heroes were most often female, her villains male, and she said that she wrote about “nice people whose lives are invaded.” There are, however, two things that won’t be found in her books — sex and profanity — and that choice was deliberate. “Let others decide whether or not I’m a good writer,” she said. “I know I’m a good Irish storyteller.” She passed away at Naples, Florida at the age of 92. - 3 February 1995 – Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle as mission STS-63 gets underway from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. - https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/feb-3-1995-astronaut-eileen-collins-at-the-pilots-station-on-shuttle-discoveryEileen M. Collins -- the first woman to pilot the shuttle -- is at the pilot's station during a "hotfiring" procedure prior to rendezvous with the Russian Mir Space Station. The successful rendezvous without docking brought Discovery to within 37 feet of the Mir; these flights through the Shuttle-Mir Program prepared the way for the International Space Station.- 3 Febuary 2020 – Supernova 2020 coming to Adelaide - https://twitter.com/SupanovaExpo/status/1224125683351183360?s=20Supanova will indeed be returning to Adelaide in 2020! After popular demand from the fans Supanova is going back to basics to bring a show that focuses predominantly on our Supa-Stars, and less on the extras that haven’t resonated as well with fans in S.A. Their return to Adelaide also sees a change to the scheduling of our Brisbane show, which will now run from 6-8 November 2020, with Adelaide the following weekend.- 3 February 2020 – Gene Reynolds passes away - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gene-reynolds-dead-mash-lou-grant-director-producer-was-96-978156 Gene Reynolds, the prolific director, producer and writer who was a driving force behind such socially conscious television series as M*A*S*H, Lou Grant and Room 222. Reynolds started out in Hollywood as a child actor at MGM in such movies as Boys Town (1938). Reynolds and Larry Gelbart created CBS' M*A*S*H, which was based on a novel by Richard Hooker and followed the Robert Altman film adaptation. "In directing, I'm always looking for the little humane touch. Something that is real. It could be very, very small," Reynolds said in a 2000 chat for the Archive of American Television website. "It could be a hand on the shoulder. It could be just an extra lingering look on somebody you care about and so forth, for just a fraction. It could be a reaction from somebody … I'm looking for humanity, really. And that goes with comedy or drama." He died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank at the age of 96. - 5 February 2020 – Kirk Douglas passes away - https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/05/entertainment/kirk-douglas-obit/index.htmlKirk Douglas, one of the great Hollywood leading men whose off-screen life was nearly as colorful as his on-screen exploits in movies like "Spartacus" and "Champion,". Michael Douglas said that his father's life "was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet." He added: "Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday, and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son." In perhaps the most famous -- and certainly most lampooned -- scene from "Spartacus," his fellow rebels, captured by the Roman army, rise to proclaim, "I'm Spartacus!" when told their lives will be spared if they identify him. He died in Beverly hills, California at the age of 103. Remembrances- 3 February 1468 – Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_GutenbergGerman blacksmith, goldsmith, inventor, printer, and publisher who introduced printing to Europe with the printing press. His introduction of mechanical movable type printing to Europe started the Printing Revolution and is regarded as a milestone of the second millennium, ushering in the modern period of human history. It played a key role in the development of the Renaissance,Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment, and the scientific revolution and laid the material basis for the modern knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses. The use of movable type was a marked improvement on the handwritten manuscript, which was the existing method of book production in Europe, and upon woodblock printing, and revolutionized European book-making. Gutenberg's printing technology spread rapidly throughout Europe and later the world. His major work, the Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible), was the first printed version of the Bible and has been acclaimed for its high aesthetic and technical quality. He died at the age of around 68 in Mainz, Electorate of Mainz in the Holy Roman Empire. - 3 February 1935 – Hugo Junkers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_JunkersGerman aircraft engineer and aircraft designer who pioneered the design of all-metal airplanes and flying wings. His company, Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works), was one of the mainstays of the German aircraft industry in the years between World War I and World War II. His multi-engined, all-metal passenger- and freight planes helped establish airlines in Germany and around the world. In addition to aircraft, Junkers also built both diesel and petrol engines and held various thermodynamic and metallurgical patents. He died at the age of 76 in Gauting,Bavaria.- 3 February 1959 – The Day Music Died -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Music_Died American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event later became known as "The Day the Music Died", after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie". Soon after take-off, late at night and in poor, wintry weather conditions, the pilot lost control of the light aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, which subsequently crashed into a cornfield. Everyone on board was killed. The event has since been mentioned in various songs and films. A number of monuments have been erected at the crash site and in Clear Lake, where an annual memorial concert is also held at the Surf Ballroom, the venue that hosted the artists' last performance. Famous Birthdays- 3 February 1480 – Ferdinand Magellan - https://www.onthisday.com/people/ferdinand-magellan Portuguese explorer who organised the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522, resulting in the first circumnavigation of the Earth, completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano. Commanding a fleet of five vessels, he headed south through the Atlantic Ocean to Patagonia. Despite a series of storms and mutinies, they made it through the Strait of Magellan into a body of water he named the "peaceful sea" (the modern Pacific Ocean). The expedition reached the Philippine islands, where Magellan was killed during the Battle of Mactan. The expedition later reached the Spice Islands in 1521 and one of the surviving ships eventually returned home via the Indian Ocean, completing the first circuit of the globe. Magellan had already reached the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia on previous voyages traveling east (from 1505 to 1511–1512). By visiting this area again but now travelling west, Magellan achieved a nearly complete personal circumnavigation of the globe for the first time in history. He was born in Sabrosa. - 3 February 1859 – Hugo Junkers – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_JunkersGerman aircraft engineer and aircraft designer who pioneered the design of all-metal airplanes and flying wings. Amongst the highlights of his career were the Junkers J 1 of 1915, the world's first practical all-metal aircraft, incorporating a cantilever wing design with virtually no external bracing, theJunkers F 13 of 1919 (the world's first all-metal passenger aircraft), the Junkers W 33 (which made the first successful heavier-than-air east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic Ocean), the Junkers G.38 "flying wing", and the Junkers Ju 52, affectionately nicknamed "Tante Ju", one of the most famous airliners of the 1930s. He was born in Rheydt, Rhine Province. - 3 February 1939 – Vladimir Yevgenyevich Preobrazhensky – http://www.astronautix.com/p/preobrazhensky.html Russian engineer cosmonaut 1965-1980. Graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute Soviet Air Force, liaising with aircraft industrial enterprises. Cosmonaut training November 1965 - December 1967. Worked at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. He was born in Leningrad. - 3 February 1970 – Warwick Davis - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_DavisEnglish actor, television presenter, writer, director, comedian and producer.[4] He played the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun film series, several characters in the Star Wars franchise (most notably the Ewok Wicket), and Professor Filius Flitwick and Griphook in the Harry Potter films. Davis also starred as a fictionalised version of himself in the sitcom Life's Too Short, written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Davis is a founder of the Reduced Height Theatre Company, which stages theatrical productions cast exclusively with short actors and using reduced height sets. In April 2010, Davis published his autobiography, Size Matters Not: The Extraordinary Life and Career of Warwick Davis, with a foreword by George Lucas. He was born in Epsom,Surrey.Events of Interest - 3 February 1961 – The United States Air Forces begins Operation Looking Glass, and over the next 30 years, a "Doomsday Plane" is always in the air, with the capability of taking direct control of the United States' bombers and missiles in the event of the destruction of the SAC's command post. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Looking_GlassIt provides command and control of U.S. nuclear forces in the event that ground-based command centers have been destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable. In such an event, the general officer aboard the Looking Glass serves as the Airborne Emergency Action Officer (AEAO) and by law assumes the authority of the National Command Authority and could command execution of nuclear attacks. The AEAO is supported by a battle staff of approximately 20 people, with another dozen responsible for the operation of the aircraft systems. The name Looking Glass, which is another name for a mirror, was chosen for the Airborne Command Post because the mission operates in parallel with the underground command post at Offutt Air Force Base. The Looking Glass was also designed to help ensure COG, continuity and reconstitution of the US government in the event of a nuclear attack on North America. Although the two types of aircraft are distinct, the Doomsday Plane nickname is also frequently associated with the E-4 "Nightwatch" Advanced Airborne Command Post mission and aircraft.- 3 February 1966 – Lunik 9 lands on lunar surface - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lunik-9-soft-lands-on-lunar-surfaceOn February 3, 1966, the Soviet Union accomplishes the first controlled landing on the moon, when the unmanned spacecraft Lunik 9 touches down on the Ocean of Storms. After its soft landing, the circular capsule opened like a flower, deploying its antennas, and began transmitting photographs and television images back to Earth. - 3 February 1981 - John Buster and the research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center announce history's first embryo transfer, from one woman to another resulting in a live birth. - http://thebusterclan.blogspot.com/2016/08/john-e-buster-doctor-that-helped-create.html In the procedure, an embryo that was just beginning to develop was transferred from the woman in whom it had been conceived by artificial insemination to another woman who gave birth to the infant 38 weeks later. The sperm used in the artificial insemination came from the husband of the woman who bore the baby. This scientific breakthrough established standards and became an agent of change for women suffering from the afflictions of infertility and for women who did not want to pass on genetic disorders to their children. Donor embryo transfer has given women a mechanism to become pregnant and give birth to a child that will contain their husband’s genetic makeup. Although donor embryo transfer as practiced today has evolved from the original non-surgical method, it now accounts for approximately 10% of in vitro fertilization recorded births.IntroArtist – Goblins from MarsSong Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ Follow us on Facebook - Page - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/ - Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/440485136816406/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamated Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrS iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094 RSS - http://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/topshelfnerdspodcast?format=rssInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/nerds_amalgamated/General Enquiries Email - Nerds.Amalgamated@gmail.comRate & Review us on Podchaser - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nerds-amalgamated-623195

This week we're commemorating my HOUSE getting SKUNKED by a SKUNK and it was STINKY The skunk, stinky but adorkable, especially when it's eating yellow jackets: The stink badger looks like a shaved skunk with a bobbed tail: The zorilla wants to be your stinky friend: A woodhoopoe, most magnificent: A Eurasian hoopoe, looking snazzy: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to learn about some animals that are infamous for their stinkiness. This wasn’t the topic I had planned on for this week, but last week my house got skunked. That is, a skunk sprayed an animal very close to my house, which means I woke up at 4:45am gagging from the smell of point-blank skunk odor. And this was with the windows closed and the air conditioning going. It was so bad I thought I would throw up, so I yanked on my clothes, grabbed my purse, and fled the house at 5:30am. I went to work early—don’t worry, I got coffee on the way—and spent the whole day smelling skunk faintly where the smell clung to my hair and, oddly, my phone case. Also I spent the whole day complaining to my coworkers. Fortunately, when I got home the smell had dissipated somewhat, so I opened all the windows and doors and by the next morning it was mostly gone. But it got me wondering why skunk spray smells so, so bad and how many other stinky animals are out there. The skunk is native to North and South America, although there are two species of related animals that live in some of the islands of the Malay Archipelago, called stink badgers. No seriously, that’s really what they’re called. Skunks and stink badgers are related to actual badgers and to weasels, but not closely. The stink badger is black or dark brown with a white stripe that runs from its head down the back of its neck and along its spine, and finishes at its little short tuft of a tail. The skunk is black or dark brown with one or two white stripes or white spots, depending on the species, which continues down its long fluffy tail. In all cases, though, these stinky animals are vividly patterned with dark fur and bright white markings as a warning to other animals. Do not get too close or there’s a world of stink coming your way. Also, I can verify from my own experience that the white markings of a skunk make it much easier to see in the darkness and therefore avoid. Since the skunk is crepuscular, meaning it’s most active around dusk and dawn, that’s important. The stink badger is more nocturnal than the skunk. Both the skunk and the stink badger have relatively short legs with sharp claws. Both are relatively small, about the size of a cat. Both are also good diggers and spend the daytime asleep in their burrows. In winter the skunk doesn’t hibernate but it does stay in its burrow more, spending most of its time asleep. This is the best way to deal with winter cold, if you ask me. Female skunks share a den in the winter but males are usually solitary. This means the females retain a higher amount of body fat when the weather warms up, since they didn’t need to burn that fat to keep themselves warm. Researchers think this helps the females stay in better condition for a spring pregnancy. Meanwhile, males are skinnier at the beginning of the winter but by staying alone they’re less likely to contract disease or parasites. Mating season for skunks is in spring and babies are born in early summer. They mostly stay in the burrow for about two months, then start accompanying their mother when she goes out foraging. The mother is really protective of her babies and will spray any animal that approaches. Although the skunk can hear and smell well, it has poor vision. That’s why so many are killed by cars. The skunk’s biggest predator is the great horned owl, because owls don’t have much of a sense of smell and don’t care about being sprayed. The skunk and the stink badger are both omnivorou...

In this first episode, your host and Becca Audrey (@aeil_runner) discuss what Gondwana is (and how many ways to mispronounce it), island biogeography, and why Australia has so many damn marsupials. Sources: Hickman, C.P., L.S. Roberts, A. Larson, H. l’Anson, D.J. Eisenhour. (2006) Integrated principles of zoology, 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Vaugh, T.A., J.M. Ryan, N.J. Czaplewski. (2000) Mammology. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Wallace, Alfred Russel (1863). "On the Physical Geography of the Malay Archipelago". Royal Geographical Society. 7: 205–212. Whitfield, P. (1993). From so simple a beginning: The book of evolution. New York: Macmillan. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, May 26). Natural history of Australia. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:39, July 3, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Natural_history_of_Australia&oldid=898809809 Wikipedia contributors. (2019, June 26). Fauna of Australia. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:40, July 3, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fauna_of_Australia&oldid=903491707

Nusantaria – often referred to as 'Maritime Southeast Asia' – is the world's largest archipelago and has, for centuries, been a vital cultural and trading hub. These have long been primarily the domain of the Austronesian-speaking peoples and their seafaring traditions. The surrounding waters have always been uniquely important as a corridor connecting East Asia to India, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Guest: Philip Bowring (journalist and author) Book: Empire of the Winds: The Global Role of Asia’s Great Archipelago by Philip Bowring, published by Tauris. Recorded 7 May, 2019.

Koleksi serangga di Museum Sejarah Alam London yang dikumpulkan oleh Alfred Russel Wallace dari nusantara pada abad ke-19. Ileana_bt/ShutterstockKeanekaragaman hayati di Indonesia bagian tengah, yang dikenal sebagai kawasan Wallacea, mengukuhkan bahwa bumi nusantara adalah laboratorium hidup terbaik untuk mempelajari evolusi di dunia. Kawasan tersebut terkenal setelah naturalis Inggris Alfred Russel Wallace menjelajah di kawasan tersebut pada abad ke-19. Dia membawa sekitar 125 ribu spesimen sejarah alam yang terdiri dari serangga, burung, reptil, kerang, dan mamalia ke Inggris. Dari penjelajahan itu lahir karya Wallace yang terkenal, The Malay Archipelago. Sebelum menulis buku tersebut, dia menulis esai hampir 15 halaman di Ternate yang dikirim ke rumah Charles Darwin di Inggris. Isinya bikin kaget, karena hampir sama dengan apa yang ada di pikiran Darwin—sebuah teori yang sudah digodog dua puluhan tahun: Teori Evolusi. Jatna Supriatna, naturalis terkemuka dari Universitas Indonesia, menyatakan hanya di Sulawesi terjadi hibridisasi binatang. Syahdan 50 ribu tahun yang lalu nenek moyang beruk hitam hijrah dari Kalimantan ke Sulawesi. Tapi perubahan alam di Sulawesi menyebabkan spesies ini terpisah dan menjadi dua spesies baru Macaca tonkeana yang hidup di sebelah utara Sulawesi dan Macaca Maurus yang hidup di sebelah selatan. Penelitian ekstensif Jatna membuktikan kedua spesies itu kembali menyatu dan membentuk spesies baru, seiring dengan perubahan lingkungan mereka. Inilah yang disebut Hibridisasi. Dan ada di Sulawesi! Edisi kedelapan Sains Sekitar Kita ini disiapkan oleh tim dengan produser dan narator Hilman Handoni. Selamat mendengarkan!

By: Wallace, Alfred Russel, 1823-1913Publication Details: London ; New York :Macmillan,1890.Contributed By: University of British Columbia Library (archive.org)

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of Alfred Russel Wallace, a pioneer of evolutionary theory. Born in 1823, Wallace travelled extensively, charting the distribution of animal species throughout the world. This fieldwork in the Amazon and later the Malay Archipelago led him to formulate a theory of evolution through natural selection. In 1858 he sent the paper he wrote on the subject to Charles Darwin, who was spurred into the writing and publication of his own masterpiece On the Origin of Species. Wallace was also the founder of the science of biogeography and made important discoveries about the nature of animal coloration. But despite his visionary work, Wallace has been overshadowed by the greater fame of his contemporary Darwin. With: Steve Jones Emeritus Professor of Genetics at University College London George Beccaloni Curator of Cockroaches and Related Insects and Director of the Wallace Correspondence Project at the Natural History Museum Ted Benton Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex Producer: Thomas Morris.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of Alfred Russel Wallace, a pioneer of evolutionary theory. Born in 1823, Wallace travelled extensively, charting the distribution of animal species throughout the world. This fieldwork in the Amazon and later the Malay Archipelago led him to formulate a theory of evolution through natural selection. In 1858 he sent the paper he wrote on the subject to Charles Darwin, who was spurred into the writing and publication of his own masterpiece On the Origin of Species. Wallace was also the founder of the science of biogeography and made important discoveries about the nature of animal coloration. But despite his visionary work, Wallace has been overshadowed by the greater fame of his contemporary Darwin. With: Steve Jones Emeritus Professor of Genetics at University College London George Beccaloni Curator of Cockroaches and Related Insects and Director of the Wallace Correspondence Project at the Natural History Museum Ted Benton Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex Producer: Thomas Morris.

This dissertation addresses the biogeographic history of the Araceae family and of one of its largest genera, Alocasia. With >3300 species, Araceae are among the largest families of flowering plants. It is the monocot lineage with the deepest fossil record, reaching back to the Early Cretaceous. Araceae are distributed worldwide, but >3100 species occur in the tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia; most fossils from the Late Cretaceous and many younger ones come from the temperate zone in the northern hemisphere, implying much extinction and range expansion. Most subfamilies are pantropically distributed, and almost all genera are restricted to one continent. Alocasia comprises 113 species, many as yet undescribed, making it the 7 th -largest genus of the Araceae. Many species are ornamentals, and two species are of interest for man, either for food (giant taro) or in local cultures (Chinese taro). The origin of these species was not known. Alocasia is distributed in Southeast Asia from India to Australia, with species occurring on all islands of the Malay Archipelago. This region has a complex geologic history shaped by the collision of the Eurasian, the Pacific, and the Indo-Australian plate. The Malesian flora and fauna comprises Laurasian and Gondwanan elements, reflecting the influence of changing sea levels, uplift and submergence of islands, and other tectonic movement. In this thesis, I used molecular phylogenetics, Bayesian divergence dating, ancestral area reconstruction to understand the past distribution of the Araceae family and the Alocasia clade in the context of past continent movements and climate history. For the family analysis, existing chloroplast DNA matrices were augmented so that all Araceae genera were represented by one or more species, with a focus on covering geographic disjunctions, especially between continents. Divergence dating relied on seven confidently assigned fossil constraints, comparing uniform and gamma-shaped prior distributions on fossil ages, as well as several molecular clock models. Biogeographic analyses were performed in a model-based likelihood framework that took into account past dispersal routes based on continent connectivity and climate. I also integrated fossils into the ancestral area reconstruction, either simulating extinct or still existing ranges, and then compared results to those obtained from analyses without fossils. To study the morphology and ecology of Alocasia, fieldwork was conducted in Malaysia and herbarium work in Germany, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Maximum likelihood phylogenies were inferred based on chloroplast and nuclear loci, sequenced for 71 species of Alocasia plus 25 outgroup species from 16 genera. Bayesian divergence dating of the nuclear phylogeny relied on one fossil constraint and ancestral areas were reconstructed using parsimony- and likelihood-based methods. The Araceae diverged from the remaining Alismatales in the Early Cretaceous (ca. 135 Ma ago), and all eight subfamilies originated before the Cenozoic. The earliest lineages are inferred to have occurred in Laurasia (based on fossils and tree topology), and most lineages reached Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and Australia during the Paleogene and Neogene. Many clades experienced extinction in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere during the Oligocene climate cooling. Two continentally disjunct genera (Nephthytis and Philodendron) are polyphyletic and need taxonomic rearrangement. Plastid substitution rates are exceptionally high in free-floating and water-associated Araceae. Ancestral area reconstructions obtained when fossil (no longer occupied) ranges where included in the analyses were more plausible than those without fossil ranges. This is not a trivial result because only in a quantitative (computer-based) analysis is it possible for fossil ranges to influence results (here areas) at distant nodes in the phylogenetic tree. The nuclear and plastid phylogenies of Alocasia revealed the polyphyly of the two genera Alocasia and Colocasia; to achieve monophyly, two species (Alocasia hypnosa and Colocasia gigantea) have to be moved to other genera. There were strong incongruencies between phylogenies from the two partitions: The chloroplast data reflect geographical proximity, the nuclear morphological similarity. This may indicate hybridization events followed by chloroplast capture. Based on the nuclear tree, Alocasia split from its sister group by the end of the Oligocene (ca. 24 Ma) and colonized the Malay Archipelago from the Asian mainland. Borneo played a central role, with 11–13 of 18–19 inferred dispersal events originating there. The Philippines were reached from Borneo 4–5 times in the late Miocene and early Pliocene, and the Asian mainland 6–7 times during the Pliocene. The geographic origin of two domesticated species could be resolved: Giant taro originated on the Philippines and Chinese taro on the Asian mainland.

In the 1830s, James Brooke sailed toward the Malay Archipelago and ended up becoming the Rajah of Sarawak. Brooke governed Sarawak until the 1860s and made several beneficial reforms. But what happened next? Join Sarah and Deblina to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

This 130th episode is titled Up North, Then South.This is the last episode in which we take a look at The Church in Europe following the Enlightenment. The narrative is nowhere near exhausTIVE. It's more an exhaustING summary of Scandinavia, the Dutch United Provinces, Austria, and Italy. We've already looked at Germany, France, and Spain.The end of the 17th century proved to be a brutal time in Scandinavia. Some 60% of the population died from 1695-7 due to warfare and the disease and famine of its aftermath. As if they hadn't had enough misery, the Great Northern War of 1700–1721 then followed. In the desperation of the times, Lutherans provide devotionals offering hope and comfort, while calling for prayer and repentance.Along with northern Germany -- Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland were Lutheran strongholds. Citizens were required to swear loyalty to a Lutheran State Church in league with absolutist monarchs.But during the Great Northern War, Swedish King Charles XII suffered a massive defeat by the Russian armies of Peter the Great. Sweden lost large tracts of land and the throne lost clout with the people. A so-called “Age of Liberty” followed that lasted most of the rest of the 18th century. The Swedish Parliament gained power and reformers gave a rationalist slant to Swedish education. They battled with Lutheran clergy who wanted to retain some  theology in the education of Sweden's young.Many returning captured Swedes imprisoned in Russia, had converted to Pietism by missionaries sent by Francke and the University at Halle we talked about last time. The soldiers became advocates for Pietism back home. Moravians also promoted revivals in Scandinavia.After a grab for power in 1772, Gustavus III nullified the Swedish Constitution restraining the reach of royal power. He imposed a new Constitution designed to reinforce Lutheranism as the basis of government. He said, “Unanimity in religion, and the true divine worship, is the surest basis of a lawful, concordant, and stable government.” But in 1781, limited toleration came to Sweden when other Protestant groups were once again allowed. Catholicism, however, remained banned.From 1609, when the Dutch won their liberty from Spain, until Louis XIVth's invasion in 1672, the Dutch United Provinces had its “Golden Age” and enjoyed what Simon Schama called an “embarrassment of riches.” This was due mostly to their lucrative international trade and free market economy. The Dutch eschewed the traditional monarchy dominating the rest of Europe in favor of a far more egalitarian Parliamentary system.Amsterdam was a thriving commercial and cultural center. Its population more than doubled from 1600 to 1800. Amsterdam's docks were always packed. Its warehouses stuffed with goods from all over the world and the trade of the massive and powerful Dutch East India Company. From its earliest days, this trading enterprise supported Reformed missionary work at posts in the Malay Archipelago, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. In July 1625, Dutch traders established New Amsterdam, later known as New York City.The United Provinces were intellectual a religious crossroads for Europe through its universities, publishing houses, and churches. Protestant students from Germany, Finland, and France flocked there to study at the University of Leiden and other schools.The main task of the faculty at the University of Leiden was the study of Scriptures. Its chief professor was Joseph Scaliger whose knowledge of the classics and biblical textual criticism made him one of Europe's premier scholars. Others notable scholars were scholars included Arminius and Gomarus.As many of our listeners know, the 17th century was the Dutch golden age of art. Thousands of painters created millions of paintings with scenes ranging from battles and landscapes, to churches, still life, and portraits. Among the more famous masters were Rembrandt, Frans Hal, and Vermeer. But by the 18th century, the quality of Dutch art had somewhat fallen.The Dutch Reformed Church affirmed the 1561 Belgic Confession of Faith. It addressed topics ranging from the Trinity, the work of Christ, and the sacraments, to Church-State relations. Although the Reformed Church was the “official” faith, the United Provinces were known for their toleration of other groups. That didn't mean there weren't heated theological rows. Two parties emerged in the Dutch Reformed Church: the “precise” Calvinists who wanted churches to possess binding doctrinal authority, and the “loose or moderate” Calvinists who desired greater freedom of religious thought.The Dutch Provinces often served as a haven for those seeking relief from persecution in other parts of Europe. Amsterdam was a notable home to a large Jewish community. Some 70,000 French Huguenots took refuge there and married into the populace. An Anabaptist community flourished. Religious dissidents like Baruch Spinoza and Anthony Collins, an exile from England, weren't much respected but they were at least not beat up.Many Europeans admired the Dutch Republic for its successful war of liberation from the Spanish, its egalitarian government, as well as its vital free market economy. By 1675, there were fifty-five printing presses and 200 booksellers in Amsterdam, adding to the burgeoning base of middle-class scholars.During the 18th century, the Dutch, while continuing to be officially Reformed, saw an increase in the number of those they'd been less tolerant toward; namely=Catholics, Dissenters, and Jews. Revivals frequently passed through more rural domains. In 1749 and 50, emotionally-charged revival meetings took place with the ministry of Gerard Kuypers. Villages in the Netherlands and nearby Germany experienced similar revivals.In a foreshadowing of Intelligent Design and the fine-tuning of the universe arguments, a number of Dutch theologian-scientists wrote works in which they sought to demonstrate that the intricacy of designs in nature prove God's existence. Until the 1770s, the Reformed Church played a dominant role in Dutch public life. Some 60% of the population was Reformed, 35% Catholic, 5% percent Anabaptists and Jews.There really never was a Dutch version of the Enlightenment. Most of its participants never espoused a militant atheism, but sought to accommodate their faith to educational reforms and religious toleration. They appreciated the new science and advances in technology.Now we turn back to Geneva; adopted home of John Calvin.During the early 1750s, Geneva was the home of both Voltaire and Rousseau, well-known Enlightenment thinkers and scoffers at Christianity.Several of Geneva's pastors proposed a reasonable and tolerant form of Christianity that warmed to some of the more liberal Enlightenment ideas. This was a huge turn from the position of Francis Turretin who in the mid-17th century, led the Reformed and conservative theologians of Geneva to the idea that the City was a theocracy with God as its ruler. Turretin said the government ought defend “the culture of pure religion and the pious care of nurturing the church.” Turretin's party defended the Masoretic pointing of the Hebrew text, making this belief binding on the Swiss church. These pastors feared if Hebrew vowels were left out, the Hebrew words of the Old Testament were susceptible to interpretations that varied from those they approved. They also tried to force pastoral candidates to repudiate the doctrine of “universal grace” being championed by an emerging class of theologians.But in 1706 Turretin's son, Jean, repudiated his father's work and embraced a more liberal theology that advocated the role of reason in determining truth. He denied his father's soteriology, doctrine of salvation, and eschewed limited atonement. By the 1720s, Arminianism had taken firm root in Geneva.In Feb, 1670, the Hapsburg, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and a devout Roman Catholic, ordered all Jews to leave Austrian lands. Vienna became a major center of cultural. After the defeat of the Turks, it's population boomed, growing from about 100K in 1700 to twice that 80 years later. The construction of the Schwarzenberg and Schönberg Palaces enhanced its prestige while the music of Haydn and Mozart made Vienna famous across Europe.The Hapsburg Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI supported Jesuit missionary efforts to convert Protestants. Jesuits created a baroque Catholic culture in Austria and Bohemia with the construction of magnificent churches in cities and the countryside.Though loyally Catholic, the Hapsburgs rejected the pope's interference in Austria's religious and political life. They'd proven their devotion to Rome when in 1683, Leopold saved The Church from the Turks. Austria was the “rock” on which the Catholic Church was built. It was the Hapsburgs who saved the faith form the infidel, not the pope.In October of 1740, at the death of her father, Maria Theresa took the titles Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Bohemia, and Queen of Hungary. In 1745, her husband, Francis Stephen, became the Holy Roman Emperor under the name Francis I. Disturbed by the Prussian Frederick II's seizure of Silesia, Maria Theresa attempted to reform the military and governmental structures of Austria after Enlightenment ideals. She became the proponent of what's called “Enlightened Absolutism.” At the same time, she was ready to apply repressive measures against those who resisted her reforms. On one occasion she warned that he is “no friend to humanity who allows everyone his own thoughts.”Maria Theresa was a devout Catholic influenced by counselors favorable to Jansenism. With the advice of her chancellor, she tried to establish a national Catholic Church in which the pope had authority only in spiritual matters.Maria Theresa did not allow Protestants to sell their property or leave her lands. She required those who refused to convert to Catholicism to emigrate to Transylvania, where Protestantism was permitted. Nor did Maria Theresa intercede to save the Jesuits when their society was dissolved. She allowed 2000 Protestants to live in Vienna, but she forced the city's Jews to live in a ghetto.Upon the death of Maria Theresa, Joseph II passed Edicts of Toleration that allowed greater freedoms for non-Catholics and continued the policy of subjugating Church power to that of the State. He confiscated the property of over 700 monasteries, displacing 27,000 monks and nuns and used the proceeds to build new churches.Like Germany, during the 18th century, Italy didn't exist as a nation as we know it. It was a hodge-podge of various principalities. They didn't even share a common language.The population of the peninsula grew from eleven to fifteen million in the first half of the century. But in the 1760's a severe famine struck Florence, Rome, and Naples.The region of Tuscany was a hot-bed of the Jansenists who, as you'll remember, were a kind of Calvinist-Catholics.A handful of Italian academics promoted rationalist views in the Catholic church, eliminating what they regarded as backward features of Italian culture. But the Enlightenment just didn't gain the traction in Italy it did in the rest of Europe.The popes of the 18th century had difficulty dealing with the now powerful secular rulers of Europe, no longer threatened by Church power or political machinations.Even the Papal States were frequently invaded by foreign powers. Conquerors only left after they'd secured hefty ransoms. Popes were forced to make concessions that made their weakness evident to all. Despite that, Rome continued to attract large numbers of pilgrims, students, and artists. Pilgrims hoped for a blessing from the Pope or a healing while visiting the many shrines.Then there were the youth on the Grand Tour, as it was called. They were most often graduates of Cambridge, Oxford, the University of Paris or some other school who headed to Italy to gain knowledge in classical culture. In 1776, Samuel Johnson underscored the importance of Italy as a destination for those making the Grand Tour: “A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority. The grand object of traveling is to see the shores of the Mediterranean. On those shores were the four great Empires of the world; the Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman.”Several popes supported the establishment of academies, colleges, and universities and encouraged general scholarship. Under their generous patronage Rome's artistic riches in painting, sculpture, music, and monuments flourished. Pope Clement XI initiated plans for the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps in the early 18th century.But to give you an idea of how the tables had turned and now kings dominated popes, it was this same Clement, who became a pawn in the hands of Emperor Joseph I and Louis XIV. Louis forced Clement to issue a papal bull dealing with the Jesuit-Jansenist controversy.Papal prestige suffered seriously during the French Revolution. Pope Pius VI was obliged to condemn the “Declaration of the Rights of Man” as well as the “Civil Constitution of the Clergy.” This split the French between those revolutionaries who wanted to throw off the Absolutist government of the French monarchy but maintain their Catholicism, and those French who wanted to be done with religion as well.Bottom Line: The Enlightenment witnessed serious challenges to both the papacy's temporal and spiritual authority.