Thumb Peak (Palawan)
Encyclopedia
Thumb Peak is a small mountain in central Palawan
, Philippines
, and is the highest point in the Thumb Range. Like Mount Mantalingahan
and Mount Victoria
further south, Thumb Peak is part of the Mount Beaufort Ultramafics geological area, a series of ultramafic outcrops of Eocene
origin that emerge in various parts of the island.
The mountain was formerly known as Mount Pulgar, a name it acquired during the Spanish Colonial period. Pulgar, means thumb in Spanish
, and the name was probably translated directly to English
following the ousting of Spain
during the Spanish-American War
. The name may have arisen as a result of the mountain's profile, which vaguely resembles the tip of a thumb
protruding from a clenched fist.
The upper reaches of Thumb Peak are populated by species associated with ultramafic soils, including a number of endemics, such as the tropical pitcher plant
Nepenthes deaniana
, rediscovered on the mountain in 2007 for the first time since its description in 1908 (see external links).
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and is the highest point in the Thumb Range. Like Mount Mantalingahan
Mount Mantalingahan
Mount Mantalingajan is a mountain in southern Palawan, Philippines, that forms the highest part of the Mount Beaufort Ultramafics geological region, a series of ultramafic outcrops of Eocene origin, of which Mount Victoria forms the largest contiguous land area...
and Mount Victoria
Mount Victoria, Palawan
Mount Victoria , or Victoria Peak, is a mountain in central Palawan, Philippines, that lies within the administrative Municipality of Narra...
further south, Thumb Peak is part of the Mount Beaufort Ultramafics geological area, a series of ultramafic outcrops of Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
origin that emerge in various parts of the island.
The mountain was formerly known as Mount Pulgar, a name it acquired during the Spanish Colonial period. Pulgar, means thumb in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and the name was probably translated directly to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
following the ousting of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. The name may have arisen as a result of the mountain's profile, which vaguely resembles the tip of a thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
protruding from a clenched fist.
The upper reaches of Thumb Peak are populated by species associated with ultramafic soils, including a number of endemics, such as the tropical pitcher plant
Pitcher plant
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over...
Nepenthes deaniana
Nepenthes deaniana
Nepenthes deaniana is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines, where it grows at an altitude of 1180–1296 m above sea level. The species is known only from the summit region of Thumb Peak, a relatively small, ultramafic mountain in Puerto Princesa Province, Palawan.Nepenthes...
, rediscovered on the mountain in 2007 for the first time since its description in 1908 (see external links).