Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Origin and Early Evolutionary History of Primates

博士论文改进资助：灵长类动物的起源和早期进化史

• 批准号: 1028505
• 负责人: Eric Sargis
• 金额: $ 1.39万
• 依托单位: Yale University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1028505&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Origin

Evolutionary relationships among fossil plesiadapiforms (putative early primates) and other closely related mammals (primates, treeshrews, and flying lemurs) have been debated for decades. Several recent analyses suggest that plesiadapiforms are most closely related to primates of modern aspect, and are therefore critical for testing hypotheses regarding the origin and earliest evolutionary history of primates. The aim of this project is to clarify which anatomical features separate primates from other mammals, and to elucidate the order in which certain modern primate features evolved following the divergence from non-primate mammals. This project will analyze the paleobiology and systematics of the Micromomyidae; the most primitive family of plesiadapiforms for which postcrania are known. Functional analyses of all known micromomyid fossil material, including four undescribed skeletons, will be interpreted in the context of a new phylogenetic tree. Modern methods in phylogenetic systematics will be utilized, including combined morphological and molecular analyses, and Bayesian methods for morphological data. Although these techniques are gaining popularity in other areas of evolutionary biology, they have not yet been used to assess relationships among primates and their close relatives. Innovative methods integrating micro CT scans will be used to quantitatively compare micromomyid skeletons to those of closely related mammals, and to reconstruct the diversity of positional behaviors and grasping abilities of the most primitive primates. Micro CT scans will also be used to quantify tooth crown dimensions, and determine the dietary habits of primitive primates.This research will promote a better understanding of the first clear step in the divergence of humans from other mammals. Undergraduate students will be trained in all areas of data collection, and all data will be uploaded to online digital archives. Outreach includes the proposal of an exhibit on primate origins at the Yale Peabody Museum, as well as lectures at local high schools.

数十年来一直在争论化石plesiadapiforms（推定的早期灵长类动物）和其他密切相关的哺乳动物（灵长类动物，treeshrews和飞狐）之间的进化关系数十年。最近的几项分析表明，plesiadapiforms与现代方面的灵长类动物最密切相关，因此对于检验有关灵长类动物的起源和最早进化史的假设至关重要。该项目的目的是阐明哪些解剖学特征是独立的灵长类动物与其他哺乳动物的特征，并阐明了某些现代灵长类动物特征在与非成群的哺乳动物发散后演变而来的顺序。 该项目将分析Micromyidae的古生物学和系统学；最原始的plesiadapiform家族已知后颅骨。将在新的系统发育树的背景下解释所有已知的微切化石材料的功能分析，包括四个未描述的骨骼。系统发育系统学的现代方法将被利用，包括形态学和分子分析的组合以及形态学数据的贝叶斯方法。尽管这些技术在进化生物学的其他领域变得越来越流行，但尚未用于评估灵长类动物及其近亲之间的关系。整合微型CT扫描的创新方法将用于定量将微菌样骨架与密切相关的哺乳动物的骨骼进行比较，并重建最原始灵长类动物的位置行为和抓地力的多样性。微型CT扫描也将用于量化牙冠的尺寸，并确定原始灵长类动物的饮食习惯。这项研究将更好地理解人类与其他哺乳动物的差异的第一步。本科生将在数据收集的所有领域接受培训，所有数据都将上传到在线数字档案馆。推广包括在耶鲁·皮博迪博物馆（Yale Peabody Museum）上关于灵长类动物起源的展览的提议，以及当地高中的演讲。