Paleoecological interpretation of a Holocene sand body in the coastal area of Phetchaburi, Gulf of Thailand

Abstract

Faunal examination is made of 4 samples, 2 from the Recent Ban Laem Phak Bia sand spit, and 2 from the
Holocene sand body of Ban Bang Ket. Fossil and modern assemblages are compared on the basis of overall
composition, taxa abundances, and of autoecological investigation on life habit, substrate preference, feeding
type, depth range and ecological meaning of the identified species. The Holocene assemblage of Ban Bang
Ket, compared to the Recent one of Ban Laem Phak Bia, 1) exhibits generally similar overall composition and
ecological structure, 2) contains much of the dominant species characterizing the modern assemblage, and 3)
includes all taxa that are members of the living molluscan community. On this basis, the molluscan
assemblage of Ban Bang Ket results to be the Holocene counterpart of the modern one of Ban Laem Phak Bia,
and reflects the same environmental conditions recorded for the latter. Thus, the sand body near Ban Bang Ket
is interpreted as a Holocene equivalent of the sand spit of Ban Laem Phak Bia.