Page 14 - Science@UM365Dec2020

SPECIAL FEATURE
BRING ON THE MIGHTY

STEGODON

THE VERY FIRST DISCOVERY OF THE FOSSIL

Karst is a landscape underlain by limestone, usually in the
form of steep sided towers with caves due to the nature of
rock dissolution. Caves often act as vaults for important
scientific materials, particularly within the Quaternary
context. This recent finding of Stegodon fossil, an extinct
genus of Proboscidea, in Perak has gained nationwide
media coverage, indicating a public interest on such
important scientific findings. Before this discovery, cave
sediments exceptionally rich with numerous vertebrate
dental and skeletal remains had been found in karstic caves
in places where such geographic features occur in
Peninsular Malaysia, including Langkawi islands. There has
been a wide gap in Quaternary palaeontology studies since
the first major publication in the 1960s. The ultimate goal is
LEAD RESEACHER
to interpret the paleoenvironment and climate changes
that had influenced the extinction and evolutionary Dr Ros Fatihah Muhammad
Karst Geomorphologist
dynamics of the Stegodon and other taxa. The findings will
answer some pertinent research questions such as the Department of Geology, Faculty of
Science
evolution and migration of mammals and their adaptation
to the habitat changes in this part of Southeast Asia during
the Quaternary.

STEGODON

FOSSIL

Discovered by
Kinta Valley Watch
in Perak and
identified by
UM Research Team

The work on the Stegodon focuses on initial identification by the experts, the 5th Earl of
Cranbrook, Dato Sri Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy from Natural History Museum (London), Dr.
John de Vos from Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden), Dr. Gert van den Bergh from University
of Wollongong, Australia, and Dr. Gerrell Drawhorn from California State University
(Sacramento), USA.

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