Genomic analysis helps in discovery of unusual new bird species from Indonesia

Date:  October 23, 2018

Source:  National University of Singapore

A joint research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Indonesian Institute of Science has described an unusual new songbird species. The bird was named the Rote Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus rotiensis after the island of Rote where it is found. The discovery was published in the journal Scientific Reports on 23 October 2018.

Rote Island is a dry monsoon island with an area of 1,200 square kilometres in eastern Indonesia. It is around 12 kilometres off the coast of Timor, and about 500 kilometres northwest of Australia. The island is also the site where a bird species new to science, the Rote Myzomela Myzomela irianawidodoae, was recently discovered, and the findings were published in the journal Treubiaon 31 December 2017.

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