Of lizards and pigs: model organisms for ecological inquiry (Pt 2)
C H Diong, Ph.D
19 Sep 07 (Wed)
1230h LT7, Singapore Polytechnic, Dover Road
(nearest Admin Gate 1, Car Park A)
BRETSS AGM 2007 LECTURE:
Turtles and snakes: model organisms for ecological inquiry (Pt 1)
C H Diong, Ph.D
21 April (Saturday)
1230h Lunch
1330h Lecture
1430h BRETSS 2007 Annual General Meeting
NUS Staff Club
Lower Kent Ridge Road
(map, beside swimming pool and Alumni House)
Hosted by Biomedical Research & Experimental Therapeutics Society of
Singapore | Synopsis
Some
“model” species are more suited than others as study organisms for
particular type of biological questions. Sea turtles are late maturing,
long-lived, iteroparous megafauna of marine ecosystem with
temperature-dependent sex determination. The biology of these ancient
mariners is especially suited for questions on reptilian TSD, natal
fidelity, foraging ecology, population structuring, and migration
through time and space. Studies of these model systems have been aided
by advances in satellite telemetry and molecular genetic techniques.
Lizards and snakes (squamate reptiles) display amazing phenotypic
plasticity for life history traits, making them attractive model
systems for experimental ecology and the evolution of viviparity in
mammals and other vertebrates. Wild pigs are an important source of
animal protein for many indigenous cultures in Southeast Asia where
members of the Subfamily Suinae are well represented. The taxonomy and
phylogeny of wild pigs, and their role as ecosystem regulators are
unclear, so is the effect of deforestation on the demography of several
wild pig populations which are hunted heavily for wild meat. The talk
is illustrated with slides on the biology of the “model” organisms to
further cross communication between scientists in the biomedical domain
and biologists in the biodiversity and ecological domain.
About the Speaker
A
zoologist with the Nanyang Technological University, NIE, Dr C H Diong
graduated with BSc (Hons) (Zoology) from University of Malaya, and
M.S., Ph. D (Zoology) from the University of Hawaii. His research
interests are vertebrate ecology, biophysics, and environmental
education; his current projects include, open-sea movements and diving
behaviour of satellite-tagged sea turtles; reproductive output,
offspring size-number tradeoff in reptiles; harvest management, and
population genetics of the bearded pig. He is Chairman of the IOSEA
Year of Sea Turtle Singapore, a Fellow and past President of the
Singapore Institute of Biology, Council Member and Treasurer of the
Singapore National Academy of Science, and former elected member and
Southeast Asian representative of the IUCN/SSC Pigs, Peccaries, &
Hippo Specialist Group. |
Star Gazing Night at the Singapore Science Centre Observatory
Conducted by Dr Cheong, Friday, 16 Nov 07, 8 pm to 10 pm, Singapore Science Centre Fighting Diseases and Epidemics in Ancient Angkor (12-13th Century)
Rethy K Chhem MD, PhD, FRCPC 23 Mar Friday
1230-1330h
DMERI@DSO National Labs (KR)
Level 2 Seminar Room
MD27, Medical Drive
Hosted by Eric Yap
Co-organized
by Osteoarchaeological Research Group of NUS, Biomedical Research &
Experimental Therapeutics Society of Singapore and DMERI@DSO National
Labs | Abstract
While
the royal and temple architecture of Cambodia have been much studied,
much less is known about the public health, way of life and medicine
practised during the Angkorian civilization. There has been recent
interest in the factors contributing to the decline of this great
civilization, and recent attempts at identifying and excavating
medieval hospitals in the region. The influence from India of Buddhist
Bhaisajyaguru and Hindu Tantric traditions on Khmer medicine has been
demonstrated during Jayavarman VII (1181-1220 CE) and related eras.
This research into the early origins of South East Asian medicine
exploits multidisciplinary approaches of palaeoradiology, epigraphy,
bioarchaeology and history.
Speaker
Rethy
Chhem graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris VI.
He also held a PhD in Comparative Education (University of Montreal).
He taught Radiology at the University of Sherbrooke, McGill (Canada),
then at National University of Singapore. He is a skeletal radiologist
and conducts extensive research on musculoskeletal ultrasound and
paleoradiology. He was the founding Chairman of the Osteoarchaeology
Research Group-Singapore and is currently Chair of the Department of
Radiology at London Health Science Center, Professor of Radiology at
the University of Western Ontario and Founding Director of the
Paleoradiology Research Unit. |
Light Luncheon Lecture Series: The World in 3D | Wed Feb 7 2007:
Stereoimaging and 3D DisplaysVeerappa G Boopathi
Wed Feb 14 2007:
Ancient Angkor - remnants of a great civilization
Eric Yap
|
Saturday 6 January 2007
1200-1430h
NUS Guild House at Kent Ridge | The New Year Luncheon Lecture
is a Society tradition where we take the opportunity to explore how a
scientific discipline (or field of endeavour) is linked to or impacts
broader society in general. We have therefore in past lectures explored
the historical, philosophical, socio- anthropological or
eco-environmental aspects of recent biological discoveries and medical
technologies. Our past speakers have spoken about the history of the
optical and confocal microscopes; the archaeology of pre-colonial
Singapore; the use of radiology and genetics in bioarchaeology; and how
infectious diseases have shaped human history and modern
civilizations.. This Lecture is given on
the first Saturday of the New Year, and this year we will again explore
an application of the visual sciences and imaging/display
technologies... |
New views of ancient sights: A 3D 'monumental' tour of old world civilizations. Eric Yap
Distinguished Member of Technical Staff
Defence Medical & Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Labs Man
has a natural and understandable curiosity about his past. Modern
technology like non-destructive radiology, molecular genetics, remote
satellite imaging and medical epidemiology have opened new vistas in
archaeology by revealing new kinds of information from ancient
artifacts and biofacts. We have in previous years' New Year Luncheons
visited some of these topics. However, it is still the large scale
architectures and monuments from the ancient world which impacts our
visual attention, imagination and inspiration.
Over the years
as an itinerant scientist, I have had the chance to glimpse our past
while exploring the future. Interesting patterns emerge from this
unsystematic stroll through the monuments of history. The
Hindu-Buddihist temples at Angkor (Cambodia), the Mayan ziggurat-like temple at Chichen Itza, and the world's tallest minaret Qutab Minar in Dehli, India are all contemporaneous,
peaking culturally and physically during the 12th century AD. Though
separated by some 1900 years, Qin Shi Huang (Terracotta army,Xian,
China) and Shah Jahan (Taj Mahal, Agra, India) shared similar violent
egos - both saw it fit to ensure the builders and architects of their
mausoleums never built another. Human sacrifices, whether consensual or
otherwise, were made to the God-Kings of China's Qin and Mexico's
Toltec and Mayan empires. Grecian Athens was no less sophisticated in
implementing the death sentence, in ways somewhat similar to those
today.
With the help of a new custom-designed 3D
stereo-projection system, I will attempt to bring you through an
armchair tour of five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The third dimension
will highlight architectural details and textures, and portray
panoramic vistas in such a way as to simulate telepresence - being
there, by being here. |
