Introduction

In 1993, a multidisciplinary research project was set up to investigate the cultural and natural diversity of Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua1, at that time still known as Irian Jaya. The province of Papua, forming the western half of the equatorial island of New Guinea, has attracted relatively little scientific attention and is widely regarded as one of the least explored regions on Earth. However, it is also known as a region of exceptional biological and cultural diversity, and hence of enormous scientific potential.