Origin of Elephas maximus borneensis

Source

Introduction

The Borneo Pygmy Elephant may not be a familiar or a known elephant to many. This is because it is only found in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo. By the name itself , it is clearly understood that the size of the elephant is not as huge as its other relative.

Until today, the origin of this elephant is somewhat mysterious and frequently debated and discussed. Its current known habitat is in the east coast of sabah and the northern part of kalimatan since the forest is somewhat connected, nevertheless it is not found anywhere else in the rest of the borneo island hence the debate of its origin.

Today, since the survival of this majestic species is being threaten by deforestation, human and wildlife conflict and hunters for its ivory, the amount is estimated to be only at 1500 in the wild and were recently dubbed the unicorn of borneo.

Introduced or Endemic

It is important to clearly state that it is once said that there is no fossil remain of elephants have ever been found in borneo except for phalanx (small bones of fingers) discovered below the neolithic level in niah caves in northern of sarawak, if this identification is correct, this indicates that the elephant was present in borneo in prehistoric times. However , it is difficult to imagine why harder and more conspicuous part like the molar and tusks were never found

After more than forty years of excavation of niah caves , opening up land and road cuttings all along the west coast of borneo , no fossils remains of this large animal have been found. All this point to the absense of this animal in borneo during the past few thousand years. (P.S Shim, Sabah Society Journal Vol.17)

However, the the Sarawak Museum register (p. 350) records a past holding of two skulls, without tusks, of the Asiatic elephant (now Elephas maximus) collected in North Borneo (Now Sabah) by H.H. the Rajah and H. W. Crocker, respectively, together with three isolated molars without provenance, and the disarticulated skeleton and mounted skin of a juvenile male from South China. Notes on the opposite page refer to a fossil molar found in a cave atBau by a former Curator [R.W.C.] Shelford which, on 22 Sep. 1926, could not be located by alater Curator, E. Banks, but was subsequently found (“in Mus.”) on 24 Dec. 1929 (Appendix A). Unfortunately, none of these specimens is any longer present in the Museum.

In recent times, scientist has made studies on history of trade and transportation of elephant in the region. They list all instances of fossil elephant remains discovered in Borneo, both within and outside the present range of the wild population, including two previously unreported discoveries: a molar said to have been found in Niah caves, Sarawak; and parts of the appendicular skeleton found in alluvial soil at Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

Archaeological records from Java confirm that the elephants existed on that island well into the historical period of postulated introduction to Sulu. We therefore conclude that the traditional story remains a valid possibility, i.e., that elephants from Java were transported first to Sulu, where they became naturalized and subsequently provided the founder members of the existing population of northeast Borneo. (ORIGIN OF THE ELEPHANTS ELEPHAS MAXIMUS L. OF BORNEO, Earl of Cranbrook1, J. Payne2, and Charles M.U. Leh3) Source

Through folklore and tales , it was recorded that sultan of sulu received some elephants as a gift , decided to move them to borneo coast... wherever the elephants roamed was to be considered to lie under the sulu sultanate.

On the other hand, about 15 years ago a genetic study showed that the DNA of Bornean elephants was very different from that of other Asian elephants, suggesting a very ancient separation, on the order of 300,000 years ago.

Written history through Pigafetta on his arrival to Brunei kingdom in 1521 says that two elephant sent to transport them, it is said it is probably i repeat probably was given by sultan of sulu by sea-borne.

This year , A study has found that elephants might have arrived on Borneo at a time of the last land bridge between the Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia.

The study, published in scientific reports, was conducted by Lounès Chikhi from Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC, Portugal) and CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier (France), and Benoit Goossens, from Danau Girang Field Centre (Malaysia), Cardiff University (Wales), and Sabah Wildlife Department (Malaysia).

"Our results suggest that the most likely scenario to have occurred is a natural colonization of Borneo around 11,400 to 18,300 years ago."

"This period corresponds to a time when the sea levels were very low and elephants could migrate between the Sunda Islands, a Southeastern Asia archipelago to which Borneo belongs. We cannot exclude more complex scenarios, but a historical human introduction seems very improbable, and so does a very ancient arrival," said Reeta Sharma, researcher at the IGC and first co-author of the paper. Source

A Surprising Find

During one of my research regards to my great grandad , Pehin Datu Laila Setiawan Dato Seri Laila Jasa William Henry Doughty, a privy council to the Sultan of Brunei , Check out a post i wrote about him here.

I learn that Donald E Brown an anthropologist interview my Great Grandad prior to publishing a significant book on Brunei: The Structure and History of Bornean Malay Sultanate. Brunei Museum, in 1970.

In our email conversation , he shared with me the whole transcript of conversation he recorded with Dato Doughty, Below is part of unpublished the tape interview transcript that i think is fascinating to share relating to this post , and has some insight about the elephant.

Since the origin of the elephant is still debated still today, i guess its best to leave it your imagination to conclude to the origin of the elephant.

TAPE TRANSCRIPTION

B = Don Brown S = Subject

B: Well sometimes you find the same name for people living in different places and they're not really related. So
the Dusens of Brunei and the Dusens of north Borneo are--they don't speak the same language.
S: Oh no, no, no. But it's not really very very different, you know.
B: It isn't?
S: No, because a lad over here he said he could understand the Kadazen they call themselves now. But they're really
a different race all together, I think. But their language isn't very very far--I think, myself, nearly all these native
races are branches of the original inhabitants of Borneo. Like the people around Oya Muka--Milanos--it's a most
difficult language. And these people here--the Kadayans and all those--although the Kadayan story [130] is that
they're descended from the Javanese. And they--it's quite likely they are because, although the Brunei women
always purdah--always cover themselves--Kadayan women never did.
B: Never did?
S: No. And the Javanese don't.
B: That's true.
S: The story goes that the Sultan--Javanese Sultan--came up here and started gambling with the local Sultan. You
know the story?
B: Yes.
S: Oh.
B: Then, they came as part of the loss.
S: Yes--as, looking after the elephants. Now Peter Fether says--when he was at Brunei, they rode on elephants.
B: I'm sure he did.
S: And those elephants now are probably rampaging up in north Borneo.
B: Well some of those in north Borneo were brought in by the British East India Company.
S: Were they?
B: They had a little operation there at one time.
S: A logging thing, yes. I believe they started about five or six years ago selling the imported elephants from
Burma, and the elephants died. I heard--still working? Still there now?

Why Am I Here

Daniel Doughty loves his community and ideas but hates writing. Steemit is a brilliant platform that would help him express his thoughts and helps him practise his writing, he hopes to get better at it.

He is now a Steemit Ambassador, encouraging his community in Borneo to use steemit as a bridge to the outside world to build awareness, showcase talents and most importantly to create wealth for themselves through the used of steemit and steem blockchain.

To find out more on what he does, click HERE