Melo Villareal
Not Madagascar: Luzon Has the World’s Greatest Concentration of Unique Mammals
Who would have thought that amidst 40,000 square miles of land rests a variety of unique mammals with a number that far surpasses Madagascar?
That’s right – Madagascar. A popular haven of animals, it turns out that the Philippines’ Luzon has a more massive variety of mammals, both big and small.
Frontiers of Biogeography
A 15-year study showcased that Luzon doesn’t just have more mammals – but these mammals are highly unique and can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Comprised of American and Filipino authors, the researchers summarized their findings in Frontiers of Biogeography, stating the presence of 56 non-flying mammal species on the island, 52 of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Even more astonishing is that out of those 56, twenty-eight (28) were previously unheard of, which means that they were only discovered and studied during the course of the research.
The team embarked on an exciting journey to discover more about the conservation status of the 57 species of bats that inhabit Luzon. From the golden-crowned flying fox, one of the heaviest bats in the world, weighing up to two and a half pounds, to the diminutive lesser flat-headed bat, so small it can roost inside of bamboo stems, the team was eager to learn more about these remarkable creatures.
Why Luzon
Even before the study started, researchers were already aware of the unique fauna situation of Luzon. Starting their study in the year 2000, it has already been shown that the Philippine island is home to one-of-a-kind animals in the world.
Lawrence Heaney, who is the project leader, said that the group kick-started the study in 2000 as they knew that many native mammal species in Luzon were one-of-a-kind.
Heaney is also The Field of Museum’s Negaunee Curator of Mammals. The museum is located in Chicago.
Explaining the Phenomena
Luzon’s exceptional animal diversification stems from several factors, starting with the relative age of the island. It is further compounded by the fact that Luzon was never attached to any other continent during its life, meaning that any fauna living in it is more or less isolated. This gave the animals excellent room for growth, with few predators keeping their population at bay.
Evolution also played a vital part in creating new species, giving birth to new branches of the same mammal with unique and distinctive characteristics. Imagine this kind of situation happening for centuries on end, and it’s not surprising that Luzon is the fauna hotbed it is today.
The island being composed of various plants and landscapes, these same animals managed to reside in their own “pocket environments, ” allowing them to thrive further.
One wonders what else can be found in Luzon – not just in the fauna front but in the flora as well.
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