News

Taxonomists discover new ‘true frog’ genus from South-east Asia

Published

6 years ago

2020/09/13

by Ifham Nizam

Discovering new species is fundamental for the expansion of knowledge of the endangered biodiversity of the planet, a large part of which still remains unknown to science.

It is rare to discover a completely new genus or higher taxon. Most new species discovered nowadays are part of well-known genus.

A group of taxonomists discovered a new genus of ‘true frogs’ and ‘ranid frogs’, which scientifically belong to Family Ranidae, according to a research article in the latest edition of the Journal of Asian Biodiversity, ‘Taprobanica’.

The new genus is named as “Bijurana” in honour of Prof. Sathyabhama Das Biju of the University of Delhi, India, for his enormous contribution towards amphibian research and conservation in the Indian subcontinent.

Prof. Biju is renowned as “the frogman of India” for bringing fresh fascination for Indian amphibians. He has discovered hundreds of new species new genera as well as new families. This world renowned taxonomist has been working very closely with many Sri Lankan amphibian taxonomists for decades.

The research of discovering new genus was conducted by three expert herpetologists and taxonomists in the Asian region, S. R. Chandramouli, an Indian researcher at Pondicherry University, Amir Hamidy, an Indonesian researcher at Indonesian Institute of Sciences and Thasun Amarasinghe, a Sri Lankan researcher at University of Indonesia.

The frog family Ranidae comprised 26 genera in the world. Among these, 15 genera, namely Abavorana, Amolops, Chalcorana, Clinotarsus, Huia, Humerana, Hydrophylax, Hylarana, Indosylvirana, Merystogenis, Nidirana, Odorrana, Papurana, Pseudorana and Pterorana are in the Oriental Region.

The first systematic classification of true frogs of the genus rana was carried out by world- renowned, most senior amphibian expert in the world, Alain Dubois in 1992. Prof. Dubois placed the sub-Saharan African Ranid frogs into the genus Amnirana and placed the unique species, Hylorana nicobariensis found in Nicobar Islands in South and Southeast Asian genus, Sylvirana, considered the most appropriate placement for the species at the time.

However, subsequent researchers from different parts of the world reallocated the species into different genera during the past two decades from Sylvirana to Hylarana, Hylarana to Amnirana and thereafter from Amnirana to Indoylvirana.

Actually since the discovery of Hylorana nicobariensis in 1870, the taxonomists were unable to find the correct generic position of this species. Therefore, its generic position has changed more than 10 times during last 150 years.

The tree experts reassessed the systematic position of Nicobarese species based on an integrative approach of both phylogenetic and morphological affinities and described a new genus to solve the long disputed taxonomic issue of true frogs.

The team observed these animals during last decade in Nicobar and Indonesian Islands with the support of their respective institutes and governments. They also recorded calls of Nicobarese frogs and analyzed the sounds. The description of the new genus will shed new light on the conservation of the species, as the new genus is now endemic to Southeast Asia, which earlier considered distributed up to sub-Saharan Africa.

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Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrives in Colombo

Published

3 seconds ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

The Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrived in Sri Lanka today, 9 September 2026, on a replenishment visit.

The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in accordance with naval traditions at the port of Colombo.

‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is a 180m long Landing Helicopter Aircraft Vessel commanded by Captain Marco GUERRIERO.

During the ship’s stay in Sri Lanka, the Commanding Officer of ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is scheduled to call on the Commander Western Naval Area.

News

Bangladesh bank on bowlers in bid to bring India down

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Bangladesh will look to curb Shafali Verma's aggression [cRICINFO]

If Bangladesh take the route of seeking inspiration from the past to bring down heavyweights India on Thursday, they will have to squint their eyes and go back to pre-Covid times for their last victory against them in the Women’s Asia Cup. India have had the better of their neighbours over their last eight meetings, and last lost to Bangladesh in a T20I three years ago, when a very similar-looking Indian batting line-up was kept to 102 for 9.

Before that, Bangladesh had shocked India with back-to-back wins that culminated in their maiden Asia Cup title, by again stifling India to an underwhelming 112 for 9.

The Bangladesh team of today – as their recent fights have shown over the last two World Cups – is a version far improved from the ones of 2018 and 2023. They have scared teams like Australia and England (ODI World Cup) and India (T20 World Cup) in the last 12 months and they recently beat the higher ranked Pakistan in the UK by keeping them to 100 for 8.

It is this bowling strength that Bangladesh must bank on to try and bring down India, whose batting has stuttered every now and then, including a collapse of 8 for 46 against Thailand earlier in the tournament. India have had middle-order issues for a while now – it’s one of the things that kept them from a knockout berth in the last T20 World Cup – and Bangladesh will be itching to strike while the iron is hot.

They have laid the foundations in the last 10 days by routing Indonesia for 58, making Sri Lanka sweat in a chase of 115, and suffocating UAE’s batters to 69 for 9 with semi-finals qualification on the line.

Pratika Rawal, India’s No. 3 for this tournament in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues, hasn’t quite shown the promise in this format that she has in ODIs. Her 36 runs in three innings have come at a strike rate of just 109.09, against some of the lower-ranked teams in the world. Now into the knockouts, the time is ripe for Rawal to step up against one of the stronger bowling attacks of the tournament, especially if one of the openers doesn’t get going.

Swing bowler Marufa Akter is doing Marufa Akter things at this Asia Cup. She has struck in her opening spell in each of her three games so far – including the big scalp of Chamari Athapathuthu for 1. She has made the ball talk with her prodigious swing, and is the top wicket-taker in this Asia Cup among pace bowlers, with an economy rate of 3.27. She will hold the key for Bangladesh as they come up against a top order comprising Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Rawal.

Team news

After constant chopping and changing during the T20 World Cup in the UK, India have gone unchanged in the three games of this tournament. They will be expected to field the same XI again.

India (probable): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma.

Bangladesh have used 14 players, in comparison, including a debut for 17-year-old allrounder Farjana Easmin. They may not make too many changes this time as the two players who came into the XI on Tuesday – Rabeya Khan and Sharmin Akter – played starring roles in beating UAE.

Bangladesh (probable): Juairiya Ferdous, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Sobhana Mostary, Dilara Akter, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sharmin Akter, Nahida Akter, Sultana Khatun, Marufa Akter, Fahima Khatun.

[Cricinfo]

News

Establishment of National Trade Negotiation Committee (NTFC) and Trade Policy Consultation Committee.

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 24-08-2026 to implement the recommendations submitted by the committee appointed to review Sri Lanka’s current Free Trade Agreements and future course of Free Trade Agreements in Sri Lanka.

Taking into account these recommendations, it has been
recognized the necessity of establishing a National Trade Negotiation Committee and Trade Policy Consultation Committee enabling Sri Lanka to follow a more targeted, sequential, and evidence-based approach in conducting negotiations for Sri Lanka’s future Free Trade Agreements and to ensure a sustainable and meaningful stakeholder consultation process.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commercial, Food Security, and Cooperative Development to act as follows.

• Establishment of a National Trade Negotiation Committee to guide trade discussions conducted with potential bilateral or regional trade partners
• Appointment of the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development as the Chairman of the National Trade Negotiation Committee and
the Chief National Trade Negotiator.
• Establishment of 12 subject specific sub- committees with the required technical working groups under the National Trade Negotiation Committee
• Appointment of Trade Policy Consultative Committee comprising of trade experts, researchers engaged in research relevant to trade field, business community, unions, civil societies and relevant public officers to instruct the National Trade Negotiation Committee on active and technical sectors, to submit the policy recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the matters relevant to the trade agreements, to inquire sustainable ideas regarding the Free Trade Agreements, and to ensure the communication mechanism.
• The Minister in charge of the Subject international trade and the Minister in charge of the subject of Industry to serve as Co-Chairpersons of the Trade Policy Advisory Committee.