Sathyabhama Das Biju

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Sathyabhama Das Biju (SD Biju)
Dr. Sathyabhama Das Biju.jpg
BornMay 1963
Kadakkal, Kerala, India
Education
Alma mater University of Calicut
Occupation(s) Biologist, conservationist, herpetologist
Employer University of Delhi
Known for Amphibian research and conservation
AwardsSanctuary Wildlife Service Award 2011, IUCN Sabin Award for Amphibian Conservation 2008

Sathyabhama Das Biju (born May, 1963) is an Indian amphibian biologist, wildlife conservationist and heads the Systematics Lab at the University of Delhi, Department of Environmental Studies. He is dubbed as the "Frogman of India" by media for his passion for frogs [1] and for bringing fresh fascination for Indian amphibians. [2] In an interview with Sanctuary Asia, he was introduced as "one of the world's foremost amphibian experts". [3]

Contents

In 2010, Biju in collaboration with national and international institutions launched the nationwide Lost! Amphibians of India [4] campaign to rediscover species thought to be extinct. In 2011, Biju was the recipient of the Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award [5] for his "extraordinary passion which led to the discovery of several new species". In 2008, the IUCN recognized his "extreme dedication to discover and conserve the vanishing amphibian fauna" by conferring him the Sabin Award. [2] In 2006, he established the Systematics Lab at the University of Delhi to bring together and train young researchers in the field of herpetology. Currently, Biju is a Senior Professor at the Department of Environmental Studies University of Delhi. He is also an Associate of the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University. [6] He served as the Head of the Department of Environmental Studies (2019–2022) and Dean of the Faculty of Science (2019–2020) at University of Delhi. In 2022, he was honoured with Kerala Sree Award, third highest civilian award given by the Government of Kerala. [7]

Early life

Sathyabhama Das Biju was born in May 1963 and was raised in rural Kerala in the town of Kadakkal, Kollam. Biju did not receive a proper formal school education. [3] [8] He completed his master's degree in Botany from Kerala University in 1987 and obtained his first PhD in Plant Systematics in 1999 from Calicut University. During 1992 to 2003 he was a scientist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (formerly Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute) (TBGRI), and during his brief stint as a plant systematist, he published seven new plant species, resolved long-standing taxonomic and systematic problems of plants belonging to the families Convolvulaceae and Rubiaceae, besides publishing several research articles and books on plants. [9]

Amphibian research

Biju became increasingly fascinated with frogs that he encountered during the several field expeditions he conducted in the Western Ghats in search of plants. To be able to fully explore the world of amphibians Biju eventually quit his research in plant science in 2000 and joined Franky Bossuyt  [ fr ] at the Amphibian Evolution Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and obtained his second PhD, this time in Amphibian Systematics. [10] [11] [12] In less than a decade of his professional career as an amphibian systematist, Biju's efforts have already thrown up over 100 new species and formally described 96 new species, eight new genera and two new families of amphibians. [13] Remarkable among his discoveries are the entirely new and famed purple frog family Nasikabatrachidae from the Western Ghats of India, published in the journal Nature. [14] This discovery was heralded as a once-in-a-century find [15] because the last time a new family of amphibians was described was almost 100 years ago. His second discovery of a new amphibian family was in 2012, the Chikilidae, popularly called tailless burrowing caecilians or chikilids, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B. [16] This discovery was called the 'discovery of the year' and 'another giant scientific discovery'. [17] Both these discoveries of ancient lineages (both the families about 140 million years old) shed significant light on the biogeographic history of the Earth, particularly that of the Gondwana, and in understanding the present-day continental distribution patterns of organisms–while the closest relatives of the purple frog lives 3,000 km across the Indian Ocean in the Seychelles, [15] that of the chikilids is found 7,000 km in Africa. [16] Notable among his new species discoveries are India's first canopy frog Raorchestes nerostgona; [18] India's smallest tetrapod Nyctibatrachus minimus , [19] a frog whose adults do not grow more than 10 mm; and Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, [15] the famed purple frog.

A critical aspect of Biju's work has been the combination of molecular techniques with traditional approaches [5] bringing on par with the international practice in amphibian research. His efforts have resolved long-standing taxonomic and systematic problems and confusions in difficult amphibian groups: the bush frogs Philautus [20] and night frogs Nyctibatrachus . [21] In recognition of his outstanding contribution to India's modern amphibian systematics, scientists named a frog after him Polypedates bijui. [22] Biju's tireless endeavor brought the Indian amphibians into global limelight. The world was taken by surprise to see a frog featured on the cover of a largely macro-economics and business magazine, The Economist , London. [8]

Conservation career

Biju's conservation concern for the rapidly vanishing amphibians, incidentally the world's most threatened vertebrate group [10] led to the creation of two important conservation initiatives in India. The Western Ghats Network of Protected Areas of Threatened Amphibians (WNPATA), [23] a network for individuals and institutions working on amphibians in the Western Ghats. In collaboration with national and international institutions and individuals, Biju launched a unique nationwide campaign called the Lost Amphibians of India (LAI) to rediscover 'lost' species that have not been sighted in life for as long as two centuries since they were originally discovered and described. The unique feature of LAI is the involvement of civil society including students, members of NGOs, and other non-amphibian specialists in conservation initiatives and has huge implications on the conservation of amphibians. LAI has over 600 team members and has conducted about 42 field expeditions. [4]

Publications

Biju has extensively published in high impact factor and prestigious journals such as Nature , Science , Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , Proceedings of the Royal Society , and has written books on both plants and amphibians. [9]

Awards

  1. Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award (2011) [5]
  2. IUCN Sabin Award (2008) [2]
  3. Kerala Sree Award (2022)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple frog</span> Species of amphibian

The purple frog, Indian purple frog, or pignose frog is a frog species of the genus Nasikabatrachus. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in India. Although the adult frog was formally described in October 2003, the juvenile form of the species was described earlier in 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eravikulam National Park</span> National park in India

Eravikulam National Park is a 97 km2 national park located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki and Ernakulam districts of Kerala in India. The park is situated between 10º05'N and 10º20' north, and 77º0' and 77º10' east and is the first national park in Kerala. It was established in 1978.

<i>Nyctibatrachus</i> Genus of amphibians

Nyctibatrachus is a genus of frogs endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. Their common name is night frogs. Their scientific name also means "night frog", in reference to their habits and dark color. They are the only extant members of the monotypic subfamily Nyctibatrachinae. Currently, 35 species belong to Nyctibatrachus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kempholey night frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Kempholey night frog is a species of frog in the family Nyctibatrachidae.

<i>Nyctibatrachus major</i> Species of amphibian

Nyctibatrachus major, the Malabar night frog, large wrinkled frog, or Boulenger's narrow-eyed frog, is a species of frog in the robust frog family Nyctibatrachidae. It was described in 1882 by the zoologist George Albert Boulenger, and is the type species of Nyctibatrachus. It is a rather large frog for its genus, with an adult snout–vent length of 31.5–52 mm (1.24–2.05 in) for males and 43.7–54.2 mm (1.72–2.13 in) for females. It is mainly brownish to grayish in color, with a dark greyish-brown upperside, a greyish-white underside, and light grey sides. It also has a variety of grey or brown markings. When preserved in ethanol, it is mostly greyish-brown to grey, with whitish sides. Sexes can be told apart by the presence of the femoral glands in males.

Nyctibatrachus sanctipalustris is a species of frog in the family Nyctibatrachidae from India. The specific name, sanctipalustris, "holy swamp" in Latin, refers to the type locality, "the sacred swamps of the Cauvery (river)...Coorg, India".

The forest night frog is a species of frog in the family Nyctibatrachidae endemic to India. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and rivers.

<i>Raorchestes glandulosus</i> Species of amphibian

Raorchestes glandulosus, also known as glandular bush frog, rough-skinned bush frog, southern bubble-nest frog, and with many other names, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats, India, and known from the states of Karnataka and Kerala.

<i>Raorchestes griet</i> Species of frog

Raorchestes griet is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats south of the Palghat Gap in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, India. The specific name griet honours Griet Decock, spouse of Franky Bossuyt, the scientist who described the species. Common name Griet bush frog has been coined for it.

<i>Raorchestes travancoricus</i> Species of frog

Raorchestes travancoricus, variously known as the Travancore bushfrog, Travancore bubble-nest frog, or Travancore tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. The species is endemic to the southern Western Ghats, India. Its specific name, travancoricus, as well as its three common names, refer to its type locality, Bodinayakkanur in the former Travancore state.

<i>Pseudophilautus wynaadensis</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudophilautus wynaadensis, commonly known as the Wayanad bush frog, common bush frog, jerdon's bush frog,plain-colored bush frog, Malabar coast frog, or dark-eared bush frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of southwest India.

<i>Raorchestes anili</i> Species of frog

Raorchestes anili is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meowing night frog</span> Species of amphibian

The meowing night frog is one of 12 species of frogs in the genus Nyctibatrachus discovered in September 2011. It is found primarily in the Western Ghats, India. The team, composed of researchers from the Bombay Natural History Society, Zoological Survey of India and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, led by herpetologist Sathyabhama Das Biju of the University of Delhi, used morphological traits and molecular markers to identify the 12 new species and three others which were thought to have been extinct. The meowing night frog is named for its distinct cat-like call.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinular night frog</span> Species of amphibian

The spinular night frog is a species of frogs in the family Nyctibatrachidae that is only known from its type locality in the Palakkad District of Kerala, India. It is one of 12 species of frog in the genus Nyctibatrachus discovered in September 2011. It is found exclusively in the Western Ghats, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chikilidae</span> Family of amphibians

Chikilidae is a family of Indian caecilians, the 10th and most recent (2012) family of caecilians to be identified, although the type species, Chikila fulleri was first described in 1904. The discovery that this was a separate lineage resulted from genetic analyses of specimens collected during about 250 soil-digging expeditions over five years that covered every Northeast Indian state. A team of biologists led by University of Delhi herpetologist Sathyabhama Das Biju described the family as representing as many as seven species apparently endemic to the region. In September 2012, some of these species were also found in Lawachara National Park in the Sylhet region of northeastern Bangladesh. The family's lineage is believed to have originated in Africa, where their closest living relatives are found.

<i>Raorchestes</i> Genus of amphibians

Raorchestes is a genus of frogs in the subfamily Rhacophorinae that are found in mountainous regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and southern China. A recent study places Raorchestes as a sister taxon of Pseudophilautus. Before the description of the genus in 2010, species now in Raorchestes had been assigned to genera Ixalus, Philautus, and Pseudophilautus.

<i>Raorchestes coonoorensis</i> Species of amphibian

Raorchestes coonoorensis, also known as the Coonore bushfrog or Coonoor bush frog, is a species of frogs endemic to the Western Ghats, India. It is reported from its type locality, Sim's Park in Coonoor, with an additional observation from Kothagiri; both locations are in the state of Tamil Nadu. Its altitudinal range is 1,780–1,850 m (5,840–6,070 ft) asl.

<i>Raorchestes jayarami</i> Species of frog

Raorchestes jayarami, also known as Jayaram's bush frog, is a species of frog from the subfamily rhacophoridae found in Valparai in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu in India. Individuals of this species from the genus Raorchestes have morphs that range from plain green to variations with splotches and dots of darker greens and in some cases yellow. Anuran's from the genus Raorchestes, show direct-development while allows them to be independent from a waterbody for the development of tadpoles.

<i>Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani</i> Species of frog

Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani, or Vijayan's night frog, is a species of night frogs, family Nyctibatrachidae. The frog is endemic to the Western Ghats, India, and is only known from its type locality, Pandipath, in the Agasthyamalai Hills, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. Smaller than a human fingernail, it is among the smallest frog species in the world. Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani is part of a genus that evolved in India around 70–80 million years ago. The species of frog was discovered by scientists from the University of Delhi.

References

  1. ↑ "India's maverick 'frog man'". BBC. 22 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 IUCN/ASG Sabin Award 2008
  3. 1 2 "Meet S. D. Biju".
  4. 1 2 Lost! Amphibians of India Campaign (launched November 2010), Official Website
  5. 1 2 3 Sanctuary Asia "Wildlife Service Award" 2011 |http://www.theearthheroes.com/the-awards/2011-awards/191-sathyabhama-das-biju
  6. ↑ "Biju Sathyabhama Das". oeb.harvard.edu. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "Kerala declares 1st-ever Padma-inspired awards; MT gets highest honour". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Frog-hunters of the Western Ghats". The Economist. 17 December 2011.
  9. 1 2 Publication's Page, Systematics Lab, University of Delhi, Official website
  10. 1 2 Saumya Tewari, Indian Education Review, 23 March 2012
  11. ↑ People's Page, Systematics Lab, University of Delhi, Official website
  12. ↑ Amphibian Evolution Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Official Website Archived 1 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Species Page, Systematics Lab, University of Delhi, Official website
  14. ↑ Bossuyt, Franky; Biju, S. D. (October 2003). "New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles". Nature. 425 (6959): 711–714. Bibcode:2003Natur.425..711B. doi:10.1038/nature02019. PMID   14562102. S2CID   4425593.
  15. 1 2 3 Hedges, S. Blair (October 2003). "Biogeography: The coelacanth of frogs". Nature. 425 (6959): 669–670. Bibcode:2003Natur.425..669H. doi:10.1038/425669a. PMID   14562081. S2CID   35834498.
  16. 1 2 Kamei, R.G., San Mauro, D., Gower, D.J., Van Bocxlaer, I., Sherratt, E., Thomas, A., Babu. S., Bossuyt, S., Wilkinson, M. and Biju, S. D. (2012). "Discovery of a new family of amphibians from northeast India with ancient links to Africa". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 279 (1737): 1–6. doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.0150. PMC   3350690 . PMID   22357266.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Darrel Frost in The Times of India, 22 Feb 2012
  18. ↑ "Kerala News : Canopy frog spotted in Wayanad". The Hindu . 25 March 2005. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005.
  19. ↑ "The Telegraph - Calcutta : Nation". Archived from the original on 12 September 2012.
  20. ↑ Biju, S. D.; Bossuyt, Franky (2009). "Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 155 (2): 374–444. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x .
  21. ↑ Zootaxa, 2011
  22. ↑ Biosystematica, August 2011
  23. ↑ WNPATA, Official Website
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