Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution
BSc (Hons) (UM), MS (Illinois)

My research interest is solely on frogs. Frogs are amazing species and they are easy to collect, have interesting life cycle, unique characteristics and evolutionary importance. My first inventory of frogs was in Bario consisted 18 species with 144 individuals. Next, I did inventory and monitoring of peat swamp frogs at Sedilu Forest Reserve. The number of species found there were quite low and no endemism was found in the peat swamp forest. My master thesis was quite different from the previous studies since I employed molecular tools to study population genetics of Bornean frogs. The three riparian Bornean frogs studied exhibited high levels of sequence divergence, relatively rare migration events and long evolutionary isolation.

My current research is an attempt i) to survey the occurrence of the voiceless frogs and their relatives in Sarawak and Sabah, and ii) to analyzed phylogenetic of mtDNA within these voiceless frogs.

Selected Publications

Ramlah, Z. 2006. The Amphibian fauna. In Abang, F. & Das, I. (eds.). The Biodiversity of a peat swamp forest in Sarawak . Pp 107-114. Kota Samarahan, Sarawak. University Malaysia Sarawak.

Ramlah, Z., Mustafa, A.R., Marni, A. & Ketol, B. 2006. On the occurrence of anurans and their microhabitat utilizations at Sarawak Highlands, Malaysia; Bario, the Kelabit Highland and Borneo Highland Resort, Padawan. Journal of Widlife and Parks 23:29-43.

Inger, R.F., Stuebing, R.B. & Ramlah, Z. 2005. Peat swamp frogs of Borneo. In. Tuen, A.A. & Das, I. Wallace in Sarawak-150 Years later. An International Conference on biogeography and biodiversity. Pp.178-181. Kota Samarahan. Institute of Biodiversity And environmental Conservation. University Malaysia Sarawak.

Ramlah, Z. 2005. Mitochondrial DNA diversity in populations of the Bornean White-Lipped frog, Rana chalconota. Proceedings of the Second Regional Symposium on Environment & Natural Resources.Vol 2, pp 148-153.

Ramlah, Z. 2003. High levels ofmitochondrial DNA diversity in populations of Bornean Limnonectes leporinus. In Maryati, M., Matsui, M. & Boon, K.H. (eds). Herpetology and The Future. Proceedings of the International Conference on Bornean Herpetology. pp 64-71.

Ramlah, Z. 2002. Frog diversity at Sedilu Peat Swamp Forest Reserve, Sarawak. Malayan Nature Journal 56(3): 217-223.

Ramlah, Z & Wasly, L, 2001a. The abundance of anurans in different types of forest in Malaysian Borneo. In Yaacob, Z., Moo-Tan, S & Yorath, S (eds.). Abstract Proceedings of the International Conference on In situ and Ex situ Biodiversity Conservation in the New Millenium . Yayasan Sabah/Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd.

Ramlah, Z, Lizanah, W. & Haidar, A. 2001b. An account of anuran at Crocker Range National Park, Sabah Malaysia. In. Ghazally, I. & Lamri, A.(eds.) Scientific Journey through Borneo: The Crocker Range National Park Sabah Volume 1: Natural Ecosystems & Species Components. London: Asean Academic Press Ltd.

Ramlah, Z. 1998. Microgeographic variation of mitochondrial DNA in populations of Bornean riparian frogs. MSc thesis. University of Illinois at Chicago.

Ramlah, Z. 1997. A Brief Note on Frogs of Bario, Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak. In Ghazally, I. & Laily, Din. (eds.). A Scientific Journey Through Borneo; Bario The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak . Pelanduk Publications.