Sunda - Land of Birds, Beasts and Dragons

Twenty thousand years ago, the lands that make up Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore were interconnected in an area geologists call Sunda. As glaciers melted and the sea level rose, islands like Borneo, Bali, and Komodo were separated from the Asian mainland. Alfred Russel Wallace explored this area in the 19th century when he independently developed the concept of evolution by natural selection made famous by Darwin. Learn about the avian families of the area, along with some of the other forest creatures living there, the importance of islands to evolution, and the impact of the palm oil industry on tropical forests. Bob Lewis is chair of GGAS' Education Committee and an award winner.