Systematic Sampling of the Gray Fossil Site Vertebrates: A Unique Mio-Pliocene Fauna from the Southern Appalachians

灰色化石遗址脊椎动物的系统采样：阿巴拉契亚南部独特的中新世动物群

• 批准号: 0958985
• 负责人: Steven Wallace
• 金额: $ 32.43万
• 依托单位: East Tennessee State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-05-01 至 2016-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0958985&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Systematic; Sampling; Gray; Fossil; Site

Systematic Sampling of the Gray Fossil Site Vertebrates: A Unique Mio-Pliocene Fauna from the Southern AppalachiansSteven C. Wallace and Blaine Schubert, East Tennesse State UniversityNorth America experienced dramatic environmental and biotic shifts during the late Miocene. However, the fossil record of these changes comes almost exclusively from Florida - west to the Gulf Coast - then north through the Great Plains - and eventually to the Northwest, leaving most of eastern North America unrepresented. The late Miocene-early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of eastern Tennessee provides a unique and significant opportunity to further our understanding of the evolution of the North American biota (specifically the southern Appalachians) during this important period. Scientific questions to be addressed include: was there a connection between the forested ecosystems of eastern Asia and those of eastern North America (as indicated by the Asian components of the GFS biota), until at least the late Miocene? If so, how long was this connection present, and what were the dynamics of its breakup? Did the Appalachians act as a forested refugium while the remainder of North America underwent large-scale ecological transition? Moreover, because of its isolation, will the GFS preserve species of mammals which are disjunct from their closest Eurasian relatives (as observed in North American and Asian plant communities)? Lastly, what taphonomic processes resulted in such a dramatic accumulation of fossils in the first place? This project will undertake systematic excavations of the GFS which will undoubtedly significantly augment the fossil content, species diversity and abundance. The new on site Natural History Museum, supported both by state and local governments is a superb facility for growing the fossil collections, assuring their professional preparation, study and publication. There has been and will continue to be extensive student training and education on material collected at the Gray Fossil Site.

对灰色化石部位脊椎动物的系统采样：来自南田纳西州立大学美国东部田纳西州立大学的独特的Mio-Pliecene Fauna C. Wallace和Blaine Schubert在中新世晚期经历了戏剧性的环境和生物转变。 但是，这些变化的化石记录几乎完全来自佛罗里达 - 西部到墨西哥湾沿岸 - 然后穿过大平原 - 最终到达西北，使北美大部分地区没有代表。田纳西州东部的中新世 - 中新世灰色化石遗址（GFS）为我们提供了一个独特而重要的机会，以进一步了解我们在这一重要时期对北美生物群（尤其是南部阿巴拉契亚人）的发展的理解。要解决的科学问题包括：东亚的森林生态系统与北美东部的森林生态系统之间是否存在联系（如GFS Biota的亚洲组成部分所示），直到至少中新世晚期？如果是这样，这种联系有多长时间，其分手的动态是什么？阿巴拉契亚人是否充当森林的回避，而北美的其余部分进行了大规模的生态过渡？此外，由于其孤立，GFS是否会保留与最亲近的欧亚亲戚（在北美和亚洲植物群落中观察到的）分离的哺乳动物物种？最后，最初是哪些Taphonomic过程导致化石的巨大积累？ 该项目将对GFS进行系统发掘，无疑将显着增加化石含量，物种多样性和丰富性。由州和地方政府支持的新现场自然历史博物馆是种植化石收藏品的一流设施，并确保了他们的专业准备，学习和出版。 在灰色化石现场收集的材料，并将继续进行广泛的学生培训和教育。