Monthly Archives: December 2011

Indonesia’s REDD+ pact: Saving imperiled forests or business as usual?

Professor Koh Lian Pin‘s research is focused on key scientific and policy issues concerning tropical deforestation and its impacts on carbon emissions and biodiversity. His latest publication is as follows: Abstract: Edwards, David P., L. P. Koh, W. F. Laurance … Continue reading

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Articles Published by Dr Maurice Kottelat and Dr Tan Heok Hui

RMBR research affiliate Dr Maurice Kottelat and RMBR staff Dr Tan Heok Hui has jointly published three journal articles in Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Reference: Kottelat, Maurice, H. H. Tan (2011) Systomus xouthos, a new cyprinid fish from Borneo, and revalidation … Continue reading

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Results are out for the Semakau Walk Photo-Movie Contest!

Results are out for the Semakau Walk Photo-Movie Contest! The Project Semakau free intertidal walks (sponsored by the HSBC) have benefited more than 800 students from schools across Singapore for the year of 2011. This year, in conjunction with the … Continue reading

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New articles on Nature in Singapore website

The following articles have been uploaded to the Nature in Singapore website (http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/nis). Leong, T. M., 2011. Observations of pupal eclosion and pheromone release in the oleander hawkmoth, Daphnis nerii (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae: Macroglossinae). Nature in Singapore, 4: 369–375. … Continue reading

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巧手"抢救"动物标本 (早报 , 21 December 2011)

Click on image to download pdf. 巧手"抢救"动物标本 早报 21 December 2011 本地第一家自然历史博物馆 - 李光前自然历史博物馆再过两年落成,修复展出标本的工作已如火如茶地展开。 新加坡国立大学属下的莱佛士生物多样性研究博物馆(RAFFLES MUSEUM OF BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH,简称 RMBR)日前就迎来独立建国后,第一位标本保护员,负责修复及保护馆中的部分收藏,为李光前自然历史博物馆的开幕提前做准备。 这名年仅25岁的英国籍女性标本保护员凯特 (KATE POCKLINGTON)本月初抵新后,已火速展开标本修复工作,先后"抢救"馆中收藏多年的两只红毛猩猩,一只马来水巨蜥,一只云豹以及一只巨型棱皮龟的标本。 这些标本都是多年前在新加坡和东南亚捕获的动物,是馆内50多万份收藏中的一小部分。因年代久远,这些标本已出现不同程度的损坏。 其中,有60多年历史的两只红毛猩猩,手臂已折断;马来水巨蜥的拇指已脱落;而113岁"高龄"的云豹标本也伤痕累累,两只耳朵已剥落。 凯特日前受访时说:"新加坡的环境潮湿,标本很容易长霉和发胀,导致眼睛下陷或突出,皮肤表层龟裂,内部铁条支撑架生锈。" 她也透露,动物标本中最常见的损坏部位,就是牙齿,拇指或爪子,因为参观者会顺手牵羊,把这些部位带走留念。 在她的巧手下,这些动物标本已恢复往日的样貌,公众可到莱佛士生物多样性研究博物馆 - 睹她的杰作。为了能呈现栩栩如生的标本,她还造访双溪布洛自然保护区,实地观察巨蜥蜴的一举一动。 对于一些从没见过的动物,她则会参考数以百计的照片,然后才决定如何修复标本。她说:"我知道博物馆落成后将引进恐龙化石,虽然从没负责过化石的保护工作,不过我很期待这样的机会。" 除了亲自修复标本,凯特也向博物馆提供建议,让其余的标本能最好的方法保存。 毕业自英国林肯大学 (UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN)保护修复系的凯特,有七年修复标本经验,曾在四家英国博物馆实习目前是牛津大学自然历史博物馆 (OXFORD UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF … Continue reading

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Clean-up at the museum (The Straits Times, 21 December 2011)

Click on image to download pdf. Clean-up at the museum Grace Chua 21st December 2011 The pair of orang utans, one male and one female, had languished in the closet for years – their hides drying, cracking and splitting down … Continue reading

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New Mekong Treasures (The Straits Times, 17 December 2011)

Click on image to download pdf. New Mekong Treasures The Straits Times 17th December 2011 On average, one new species of plants and animals was found every two days last year in the Greater Mekong region. The 208 species discovered … Continue reading

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Toddycats Engage Event: Local biodiversity and dinosaurs go to Geylang East Public Library!

The Toddycats Engage at the Geylang East Public Library. The Raffles Museum Toddycats has once again set up another exhibition at the Geylang East Public Library on the 10th of December 2011! There turn up was great and there were … Continue reading

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Our Resident Poster Boy Hard at Work

If you find that Marcus has a familiar face, its because you have probably seen him before in one of the posters Raffles Museum, or even the Department of Biological Sciences produces. The resident poster boy, Marcus, is currently researching … Continue reading

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Asia-Europe Foundation Governors visit to RMBR on 3 December 2011

A few members of the Board of Governors from the Asia-Europe Foundation visited the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research on the 3rd of December 2011. Professor Leo Tan, the Governor of Singapore in the foundation, along with his fellow board … Continue reading

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