The Invisible Barrier Keeping Two Worlds Apart

In between two of the islands of Indonesia, there’s an ancient line that is both real and…not real.

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Produced by Complexly for PBS Digital Studios

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[souffle]

Wallace is well known in Indonesia, actually more famous than Darwin. We learn from child that he found the theory of natural selection almost at the same time as Darwin, but decided to let Darwin took the honor. Wallace was depicted as a humble man who prefer focusing on his research instead of fame or prestige. He spent the majority of his life going from one island to another island to pursue his study and interest.

Truly a researcher at its core.

[SachinShukla]

Imagine not knowing anything about plate tectonics and realizing that some birds being missing on a random island implied the existence of continents that went underwater millions of years ago. Incredible.

[zeroyuki]

In Indonesia, we were taught about one other line: Weber's line. It's basically a line east of Wallace's line (between Sulawesi and Moluccas iirc) which separates the Australia + Papua plate with the transitionary islands. So unlike Wallace's only 2 zones (Asia/Sunda - Australia/Sahul) it's now three zones (Asia - Transitionary - Australia)

[riyadhfirdausehh]

As a person who currently live in Sulawesi island, this explains why i found a lot of shell and mollusks fossil on the mountain regions, it even scattered everywhere everytime we dig gravels for construction.

[sandervkva]

I’m a Dutch biology teacher on holiday in Bali. Currently staying at the coastal village Amed, on the far east side of the island. Looking across the exact Wallace line described in this video, at the island of Lombok. All while watching this video while the sun rises on the horizon, quite close to my sight of Lombok. This was a delightful video with perfect timing.

[raystaar]

I was sitting in 9th grade science in 1960, looking at the world map and noticing how the coasts of Africa and South America seem to fit together. I pointed that out during discussion and wondered aloud if they'd ever been joined. The teacher ridiculed my remarks, declaring it an outlandish idea. Now, whenever plate tectonics is discussed, I think to myself: "Take that Mr. Lee."

[qwaz]

Imagine trying to describe to describe to someone from 500 years ago that the movement of rocks creates an invisible line that decides what type of food is available

[markpatterson]

This video really caught my eye. I'm a retired merchant seaman with 46 years of going to sea and believe me folks, I have seen some pretty places. One of the most beautiful (if not THE most beautiful) places I ever sailed through was the Makassar Straits between Celebes Island and Borneo Island. Now I find that there is more to it than just a gorgeous place. If you folks ever get a it!!

[glassramen]

The statement "I'm as old as plate tectonics, " really drives home how quickly our understanding of science had grown, and just how recently too.

[raf]

I'm Indonesian. I remembered growing up we learned at school that every island and province has its local iconic fauna. Never knew why it was so diverse, tho. Each animal became sort of a local pride symbol. Ours from Northern Sulawesi is the Tarsius (tiniest primates) mentioned in the video. Curiously comparable to the neighboring island crossing the wallace line, in Kalimantan they have Orangutan which is one of the largest primates found only in Kalimantan and Sumatra but not in Sulawesi. Wonderful, isn't it? Thanks for sharing this video 😊

[grimlock]

My geology prof was doing her thesis defense in the late 60's. One people on the panel asked her a question about tectonics but one of the other members took issue with that. So two members of the panel that was convened to determine if my future professor should get her doctorate in geology... started arguing with each other, and my prof just stood their quietly, letting them run out the clock.

[SeaTrekBali]

Did you know the Wallace Line is also important culturally and historically? It marks the boundary between two regions that have had different influences over time, which has led to a diverse mix of languages and cultures in Indonesia. Along our trip with Pinisi boats, we learn about Indonesia's history and culture, including the significance of the Wallace Line in shaping the country's diversity.

[kilanspeaks]

I think we Indonesians are the only ones who are taught about Wallace’s Line at school, as well Weber’s and Lydekker’s, but only in passing, as we mainly focus on species difference between Sunda (Asian animals like tigers and elephants), Sahul (Australian like kangaroos and emus), and Wallacean (including Indonesia’s endemic animals like Komodo dragons and babirusas). Looking back, this short video would have made it easier to understand how the differences came to be.

[vincentchen]

been following your channel since 4 or 5 years ago. Seeing my country being discussed in this video is unbelievable. Anyway, here in Indonesia, the concept of Wallace Line had been introduced since elementary school. Most of us didn't even understand what Wallace Line is. I think Eons has done a great job explaining the Wallace Line.

[spennie]

Mr Wallace doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's a giant.

[Sagealeena]

The Wallace Line also influenced the people living in Australia too. Aboriginal Australians and Torres Straight Islanders have lived here for 65-120 thousand years and they were isolated for most of that time and so that’s a big part of why the animal and plant biodiversity is so unique, why the people’s genetics are relatively unique and with big cultural differences too. It’s something I’m only just learning about, but I think it’s really interesting

[dylancooper]

Blake being born in the late 60's is as much of a revelation to me as plate tectonics would be to Wallace.. I wouldn't have thought him a day older than 1975 at the oldest.

[arnbrandy]

"I'm as old as plate tectonics!" Really? You're in great shape, I'd never tell you are more than 220 million years old!

[TryinaD]

I’m from Indonesia and we were taught this back in elementary school, this brings so many memories back! We had to remember the local species of both sides, haha

[joonzville]

I remember my high school geography teacher (in around 1966) doing a little rant about how "the continents do *not* move!". We had no idea what he was talking about because the plate tectonic theory hadn’t trickled out to the general population yet. He never explained but that strange rant stuck with me and only cleared up when I learned about ‘continental drift’ 5 or so years later.