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A fossil expedition becomes a thrilling search for a mythical beast deep in the Indonesian forest -and a fascinating look at how fossils, folklore, and biodiversity converge.bpThe need to understand and conserve biodiversity has never been more pressing. This is particularly urgent for vulnerable ecosysts such as islands, which have suffered human-caused extinctions throughout history and recent prehistory. A tale of exciting scientific discovery,i The Tomb of the Mili Monggai is based on the story of expeditions to the island of Sumba in eastern Indonesia.pWriter Samuel Turvey discovers an entire recently extinct mammal fauna from the island's fossil record, revealing how islands support some of the world's most rarkable biodiversity, and why many endics are threatened with extinction. But as the story unfolds, a new narrative erges - Sumba's indigenous communities tell of a mysterious wildman called the mili mongga, a giant yeti-like beast that supposedly lives in the island's rote forests.pWhat is behind the stories of the mili mongga? Is there a link between this enigmatic entity and the fossils Sam's looking for? And what did he find when he finally dug up the grave of a mili mongga? iThe Tomb of the Mili Monggai combines evolution, conservation, anthropology, travel writing and cryptozoology to explore the traditional culture and unique biodiversity of a tropical island that's largely unknown to the outside world, with wider questions about the relationship between biodiversity and cultural diversity, what reality means from different cultural perspectives, and how folklore, fossils and biodiversity conservation can be linked together in surprising ways.p

The Tomb of the Mili Mongga

  • By Samuel Turvey

    A fossil expedition becomes a thrilling search for a mythical beast deep in the Indonesian forest - and a fascinating look at how fossils, folklore and biodiversity converge in surprising waysp
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  • Book Details

    ISBN: 9781399409773 Pub date: 01-Feb-24 Format: 234 x 153mm Extent: 320pp
  • About the Author

    Samuel Turveyb is Professor of Conservation Biology at the Institute of Zoology, ZSL. His work focuses on understanding how science can guide practical conservation efforts for some of the world?s rarest species, and he has conducted extensive fieldwork in rote regions of China, southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Much of his research uses the fossil record and indigenous knowledge to gain new insights in saving threatened species. Samuel was awarded the Linnean Medal in 2019.

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