Dinosaur footprint assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation,Khorat Group,northeastern Thailand

The Khok Kruat Formation is the upper part of the Khorat Group, which consists of upper Lower Cretaceous non-marine sedimentary rocks in northeastern Thailand. Many dinosaur footprints have been known from the upper Lower Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) Khok Kruat Formation at the Huai Dam Chum (Tha Uthen) site, northeastern Thailand. Approximately 600 tracks occur in thin mudstone layer of the northern part of the outcrop at the Huai Dam Chum track site. Two types of footprints, small-sized theropod and crocodylomorph are imprinted with mud cracks and ripple marks on the thin mud layer. Most of footprints are referred to cf. Asianopodus, and are imprinted by small-sized theropoda, probably ornithomimosauria. Theropod tracks are mainly separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. From ichnological viewpoints, the small-sized theropod track assemblage indicates the herd behaviour and its idiosyncratic group composition. In particular, the histogram of size-frequency measurements of Group A shows the anomalous bimodal distribution. We consider that there are two hypotheses; the first one is due to the male-female difference, and the second is a result of the different growing stage.     

Characterization of defoliation conditions within a boreal Montane forest ecosystem

Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) digital data acquired in the fall of 1988 and digital elevation model (DEM) data were evaluated for use in characterizing the spatial distribution of defoliation conditions within the boreal montane spruce‐fir ecosystem in the Black Mountains (Mtns.) of North Carolina. Correlation coefficients between the TM waveband data and field estimates of defoliation taken from 22 one hectare field plots were low (0.10 to ‐0.54). TM band four (near infrared) was the only waveband found to be significantly correlated with needle loss. Defoliation was also shown to be significantly correlated with digital elevation and aspect data. A multivariate linear regression model predicting percent defoliation was developed from the TM, elevation, and aspect data for the 21 field plots. In addition to having a high R2(0.85) the model was shown to reliably predict defoliation conditions throughout the ecosystem. A color‐coded classified image depicting the spatial distribution of defoliation conditions within the study site was generated by applying the model to the TM and DEM data.     

Middle Permian cephalopods from central Peninsular Malaysia: implications for faunal migration through the southern Tethys

A Wordian (Middle Permian) cephalopod fauna consisting of four ammonoid species, Tauroceras aff. scrobiculatum (Gemmellaro), Agathiceras sp., Bamyaniceras orientale n. sp. and Pronoritidae gen. and sp. indet., and two nautiloid species, Tainoceras sp. and Orthocerida fam. indet., were recovered from the Bera South area, southern Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. The outcrop represents the southernmost extent of the Bera Formation. Bamyaniceras and Tainoceras are recorded in Malaysia for the first time. The presence of T. aff. scrobiculatum suggests a regional correlation with an ammonoid-bearing bed of Sungai Cheroh, western Pahang, and permits global correlations with strata of northeastern Iraq, northern Oman and Sicily (Italy). A possible eastwards faunal migration through the southern Tethys is suggested.     

Early Permian ammonoids from the Kaeng Krachan Group of the Phatthalung-Hat Yai area, southern peninsular Thailand

An Early Permian small ammonoid fauna consisting of Neocrimites sp., Agathiceras suessi Gemmellaro, A. girtyi Böse, Agathiceras? sp., and Miklukhoceras sp. was found in nodules of a fine sandstone bed exposed in the Phatthalung-Hat Yai area of southern peninsular Thailand. The ammonoid-bearing bed belongs stratigraphically to the uppermost part of the Kaeng Krachan Group, which is essentially a clastic-dominant, Late Carboniferous (?) to Early Permian stratigraphic unit, widely distributed in western and peninsular Thailand. This ammonoid fauna is considered to be of Bolorian (Kungurian) age and includes Agathiceras girtyi Böse, which is described for the first time from Thailand. The present discovery of Bolorian ammonoids suggests that the uppermost part of the Kaeng Krachan Group is slightly younger than previously considered and around the latest Early Permian. This further implies that the continental margin environment of the Sibumasu Block drastically changed at around Bolorian time from a cool, clastic-dominant shelf condition to a temperate to subtropical, carbonate platform due to rapid northward drift after middle Artinskian rifting.     

泰国的工业化及其区域政策

80年代以来,泰国经济的腾飞得益于它的工业化发展,但随之也出现了一系列的负面效应,特别是泰国首都曼谷为此面临许多十分棘手的问题。曼谷与泰国其他地区之间地区差异的不断扩大,迫使泰国政府不能不重新确立区域发展政策,但收效甚微。泰国的这些发展历程,无论成功与否,我们都可以从中得到一些经验和教训。     

Status of an endangered subspecies: the peninsular pronghorn at Baja California

During November 1993, we traversed by ground and by air the Vizcaíno Desert, the last redoubt of the peninsular pronghorn (Antilocapra americana peninsularis). A total of 29 h of aerial census was performed and a total of 1900 km²were covered by ground, totalling 400 man hours of survey. At present the peninsular pronghorn population consists of 175 individuals, and inhabits an area of approximately 5000 km². Because of the impossibility of controlling its activities over such an area and because of the present small population size, we propose to manage part of the population in semi-captivity at Mesa de la Choya island, with the objective of assuring the survival of this subspecies, the most endangered mammal in Mexico.     

Electoral Geography of the Sino-Thai in Thailand's National Elections, 1979–1995

Comparison of Thai and Sino-Thai participation and success rates from the seven elections taking place since 1979 show Sino-Thai participation comparable to their proportion in the country's population. Assimilationist government minority policy and electorate acceptance have served to integrate this group into the mainstream political system. There is no pattern of support for a particular political party and there are no indicators of a separate Sino-Thai political element. Their highest success rates, however, occur in regions of the country that have historically had small Sino-Thai populations. This appears to be the result of factional politics and of monetary and organizational resources needed to garner votes at the provincial level.     

利用资料同化方法优化观测系统的空间布局:以泰国湾为例

海洋观测费用高昂,设计科学高效的观测系统可以充分发挥观测的效能。本文以泰国湾高频地波雷达观测系统为例,利用数据同化方法对观测系统进行了最优布局。首先基于FVCOM海洋数值模式建立了泰国湾海域高分辨率三维斜压水动力模式,在此基础上利用一种改进的高效集合卡曼滤波同化方法对岸基高频地波雷达表层海流观测系统开展观测效能评估数值实验。通过观测区域的不同组合方式将3个区域的雷达表层海流数据同化到数值模式中,实验结果表明,岸基高频地波雷达表层海流观测系统可有效降低高分辨数值模式的海流模拟误差。但不同观测区域的组合提供的观测数据对改善海流模拟的作用存在明显差别,泰国湾现有观测系统雷达站位布设方式应进一步优化。本文最后给出了研究区域最优观测站位的布局方案,可作为下一步观测系统进行布局调整的指导。     

From Rubble to Virtual Reality: Photogrammetry and the Virtual World of Ancient Ayutthaya, Thailand

For in excess of 100 years, photogrammetry has played a significant role in documenting the cultural heritage of nations and peoples. Many recent advances in the technique have enhanced the use of photogrammetry as a recording tool, enabling more complex representations of objects and moving access to the procedure from the expert to the interested user. Some of these recent developments include low cost digital photogrammetric systems, image sequence analysis, bundle adjustment and camera calibration procedures, and three dimensional laser scanning. An overview of some of these developments is given in this paper. The University of Melbourne, in conjunction with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, has been working on a project to create a computer visualization of the ancient Thai city of Ayutthaya. This project has blended three dimensional CAD models of the architectural features of Ayutthaya with historical research and artistic rendering to build a realistic representation of this city as it may have existed in the past. The model of the city has been built up from historical “maps”, aerial photographs, field survey and the use of photogrammetry to derive models of individual wat, chedi, prang (see GLOSSARY) and statuary. The historical research conducted in Thailand has provided the basis for the determination of the most likely location and appearance of the missing structures. The CAD models created from the photogrammetry have been visualized by the addition of surface textures and materials and rendered in as realistic a manner as possible. The virtual city has also been augmented by the incorporation of live actors in the computer reconstruction. When completed, the end product will be capable of producing an experience of daily life in Ayutthaya, with the potential for giving the user a level of interaction. The reconstruction will also be used as the basis of a variety of educational products to be produced in Thailand on a number of different media, including a bilingual CD-ROM already developed to “proof-of-concept” stage.