Evolution of the mammals of Sundaland
The tusks of stegodont (left) were much longer than those of modern elephant (right) and close together for much of their lenght, probably leaving no room between them for the trunk
Mammals have a long history, but it is enough to go back only two million years, to the early Pleistocene era, to understand the origins and evolution of the present wild mammals of Sundaland, the region consisting of the Malay Peninsula, the large islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo, as well as Bali and the other smaller islands of the area. Evidence is provided in fossils and through comparisons with living forms. It shows that successive invasions from continental Asia, followed by local evolution, have produced a distinctive regional land fauna.
- Information in the full article includes
- Early mammals
- Changed forms