The mitochondrial D-loop is a robust maternal-species identifier in gibbons (Hylobatidae)2025 · Abstract Some gibbon species are difficult to distinguish phenotypically. This issue is compounded by recent changes in the gibbon taxonomy, which have sometimes occurred long after individuals were taken from the wild for captive breeding programmes. Furthermore, gibbon species within the Hylobates and Nomascus genera have been documented to hybridize to produce viable, fertile offspring, both in captivity and in the wild. This raises the possibility of cryptic hybrids within captive populations, threatening the genetic integrity of these genera. Phylogenetic methods using the mitochondrial D-loop and cox1 gene were compared to genetically identify gibbon species. Both loci identified lineages with cryptic hybrid ancestry. However, the D-loop outperformed the cox1 gene, providing higher resolution, particularly for Nomascus spp., which for some species were not monophyletic when using the cox1 gene. The D-loop also revealed a significantly higher number of unique sequences, making it more suitable for investigations into relatedness, such as female dispersal patterns.
Time-series analysis of satellite imagery for detecting vegetation cover changes in Indonesia.2023 · Abstract Indonesia has one of the world’s largest tropical forests; thus, its deforestation and environmental degradation are a global concern. This study is the first to perform comprehensive big data analyses with coherent vegetation criteria to measure the vegetation change at a high temporal resolution (every 16-day period) for 20 years and the high administrative resolution (regency or city) all over Indonesia. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer is analyzed through state space modeling. The findings reveal that the NDVI increases in almost all regencies, except in urban areas. A high correlation between the NDVI change and the time is observed in Sumatra, Papua, and Kalimantan. The gain of the NDVI values is obvious in the Central and Eastern Java Island. Human activities, such as the expansion of agriculture and forestry and forest conservation policies, are the key factors for the observed pattern.
