The tomb of the Mili Mongga

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. The need to understand and conserve biodiversity has never been more pressing. This is particularly urgent for vulnerable ecosystems such as islands, which have suffered human-caused extinctions throughout history and recent prehistory. A tale of exciting scientific discovery, ‘The Tomb of the Mili Mongga’ is based on the story of expeditions to the island of Sumba in eastern Indonesia. While there, Professor 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 remarkable biodiversity, and why many endemics are threatened with extinction.