FRST, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Professor in Zoology
PhD (University of Queensland)
MSc (California State University at Fresno, 1989)
BSc (California State University at Sacramento, 1987)

Tel: +6082583172

Director, Research & Innovation Management Centre (RIMC)

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Research activities
My current research areas include the use of molecular markers and morphology to infer current and historical population processes at various spatial and temporal scales and the effects of historical changes in habitat on current distributions and diversity of faunas, with particular reference to fauna endemic to the high-altitude (mountains). In this regard, I have worked with mountain blackeyes (Chlorocharis emiliae), a mountain bird endemic to Borneo. My research is question driven as opposed to taxon driven, although I primarily work on birds. The work on bird diversity, molecular and morphological approaches to study population dynamics, bird voucher specimen collection for museum, phylogeography and evolution are currently on-going. Research collaboration with Museum of Natural History, Louisiana State University and Kansas University (USA) which started in 2008 is progressing well. I am also interested in commercial bird species such as the white-nest swiftlets (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and black-nest swiftlets (Aerodramus maximus). Currently, I am conducting a study on bioacoustic and behavioural ecology of black-nest swiftlets. The mating and nesting behaviour of farmed white-nest swiftlets are also studied. I look forward to having more research collaborations with universities and international organizations working in the same fields. I hope that my interest in this area of research will open up more avenues for further investigations into the complexity of the rainforest fauna.


Selected publications - Refereed Journals

Lim, H.C, M.A. Rahman, S.L.H. Lim, R.G. Moyle, and F.H. Sheldon. 2011. Revisiting Wallace's haunt: Coalescent simulations and comparative niche modeling reveal historical mechanisms that promoted avian population divergence in the Malay Archipelago. Evolution, 65-2, 321-334.

Rahman, M.A., D.F.A. Gawin, and C. Moritz. 2010. Patterns of genetic variation in the little spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) in Southeast Asia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 58(2): 207-216.

Mohd Fizl Sidq Ramji and Mustafa Abdul Rahman. 2010. Comparative temporal discolouration of mountain blackeye (Chlorocharis emiliae) Museum dry specimen in Sarawak. Borneo Journal of Science and Technology (BJRST).

Apun, K., K.L. Kho, Y.L. Chong, F.H. Hashimatul, M.T. Abdullah, M.A. Rahman, M.B. Lesley, and L. Samuel. 2010. Detection of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in Wildlife from Disturbed Habitats in Sarawak, Malaysia. Research Journal of Microbiology 6 (2): 132-139.

Zainudin, R., M.A. Rahman, Zain, B.M.M, Shukur, M.N.Inger, R.F., and Norhayati, A. 2010. Mating calls description of five species of frogs from the genus Hylarana Tschudi (1838) (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) from Sarawak, Malaysia. Sains Malaysiana 39(3): 363-369.

Ramlah Zainudin, Shukor Mohd Nor, Norhayati Ahmad, Badrul Munir Md-Zain, and Mustafa Abdul Rahman. 2010. Genetic Structure of Hylarana erythraea (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae) from Malaysia. Zoological Studies 49(5): 688-702.

Mustafa Abdul Rahman, Isa Sait, and Besar Ketol. 2009. A Brief Study on Birds at Gunung Silam, Sabah, Malaysia. Sarawak Museum Journal LXVI(87): 305-311.

Rahman, M. A. 2007. Patterns of avifauna distribution east and west of Wallace’s Line. Sarawak Museum Journal. Vol. LXIII, No. 84. 245-257.

Ramlah Zainudin, Mustafa Abd Rahman, Wahap Marni, and Besar Ketol. 2006. On the occurrence of anurans and their microhabitat utilizations at Sarawak Highlands, Malaysia; Bario, the Kelabit Highland and Borneo Highland Resort, Padawan. The Journal of Wildlife and Parks, Vol. 23: 29-43.

Rahman, M. A. 2006. Patterns of morphological variation in the little spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) in Taman Negara, Peninsular Malaysia and Thale Ban National Park, Thailand. In: Othman, S., Yatim, S. H., Elagupillay, S., Md. Nor, S., Ahmad, N., and Mohd Sah, S. H (eds.), Pp: 207-214, Management and Status of Resources in Protected Areas for Peninsular Malaysia. Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Kuala Lumpur. ISBN 983-43010-0-6.

Rahman, M.A., and A.A. Tuen. 2006. The avifauna. In: Abang, F., and I. Das, eds. Pp129-136. The Biodiversity of a Peat Swamp Forest in Sarawalk. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan. ISBN 983-9257-45-5.

Robert G. Moyle, Menno Schilthuizen, Rahman, M. A., and Frederick H. Sheldon. 2005. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the white-crowned forktail (Enicurus leschenaulti) in Borneo. Journal of Avian Biology, 36: 96-101.

Gawin, D. F. A., and Rahman, M. A. 2005. Analysis of external morphological characters in determining patterns of variation among mountain blackeye (Chlorocharis emiliae) populations in Borneo. In: Tuen and Das (eds), Wallace in Sarawak – 150 Years Later, Pp: 188-194. Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Kota Samarahan. ISBN 983 9257-5-0-1.

Lim, G. W., and Rahman, M. A. 2005. Patterns of genetic variation among white-nest swiftlets (Aerodramus fuciphagus) populations in Malaysia based on partial cytochrome b region. In: Tuen and Das (eds), Wallace in Sarawak – 150 Years Later, Pp: 91-99. Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Kota Samarahan. ISBN 983 9257-5-0-1.