RAPID: The Snowmastodon Project

RAPID：雪乳齿象项目

• 批准号: 1125579
• 负责人: Kirk Johnson
• 金额: $ 1万
• 依托单位: Denver Museum of Nature and Science
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-07-01 至 2012-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1125579&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Snowmastodon; Project

The recent discovery on Oct. 14, 2010, of exceptionally preserved plant and large mammal fossils atZeigler Reservoir near Snowmass Village, Colorado provides a brief opportunity to study an amazinglywell-preserved, sequence of high-elevation Ice Age ecosystems. In 18 days (Oct. 29 to Nov. 17, 2010),the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) excavated more than 600 bones comprising parts of 8-10 American mastodons, 4 Columbian mammoths, 4 Ice Age bison, 2 deer, 1 Jefferson?s ground sloth(the first record in Colorado and the highest altitude record in North America), multiple Tigersalamanders, and exceptionally preserved plant, insect and aquatic invertebrate fossils. As a whole, thesite represents the first relatively complete sequence of lacustrine Pleistocene ecosystems at highelevation in the Rocky Mountains. A number of key research questions and opportunities have emerged:1) What does this site tell us about high elevation Pleistocene climate and biota in the Ice Age Rockies?2) What is the geochronology of the site? 3) What is the detailed history of lake in-filling? 4) What werethe life histories of the site?s mammoths and mastodons? 5) Given the large number of specimens, can weundertake metapopulation analyses of the bison, mammoth, and mastodon? And 6) what is the relevanceof this Rocky Mountain climate and biotic record to present-day issues of climate change?To answer these over-arching questions and other more specific questions, we have assembled a team of32 scientists from 15 institutions organized into six groups to undertake a comprehensive multidisciplinarystudy of the Ziegler Reservoir fossil lake. These groups are: 1) regional and local geology; 2)stratigraphy; 3) geochronology; 4) fossil vertebrates; 5) fossil plants; and 6) fossil invertebrates. Usingthis approach, we are designing a plan to: 1) excavate the remaining fossil resources from the dam site inMay-June, 2011, before the site is buried by planned dam construction in July-September; 2) implement acomprehensive scientific research plan to study and understand this site; 3) preserve and conserve thefossils from the site; and 4) to use the results of this discovery provide world-class educationalopportunities to local, regional, national, and international audiences. DMNS is planning ancomprehensive media and documentary plan for the 2011 excavation and DMNS educators will return tothe Roaring Fork Valley in Spring 2011 to provide free education programs for K-12 students in all of theRoaring Fork Valley schools, including in-school assembly programs, distance learning programs, teacherprofessional development programs, and early childhood education resources available onwww.dmns.org. This grant will partially fund the fieldwork portion of 2011 activities.

2010 年 10 月 14 日，科罗拉多州斯诺马斯村附近的齐格勒水库最近发现了保存完好的植物和大型哺乳动物化石，为研究保存得非常完好的高海拔冰河时代生态系统序列提供了一个短暂的机会。在18天内（2010年10月29日至11月17日），丹佛自然科学博物馆（DMNS）挖掘出600多块骨头，其中包括8-10头美洲乳齿象、4头哥伦比亚猛犸象、4头冰河时代野牛、2头鹿的部分骨头, 1 只杰斐逊地懒（科罗拉多州首个记录，北美最高海拔记录），多只虎蝾螈，以及保存完好的植物、昆虫和水生无脊椎动物化石。总体而言，该遗址代表了落基山脉高海拔地区第一个相对完整的湖泊更新世生态系统序列。出现了一些关键的研究问题和机会：1) 该遗址告诉我们有关冰河时代落基山脉高海拔更新世气候和生物群的哪些信息？2) 该遗址的地质年代学是什么？ 3）填湖的详细历史是怎样的？ 4) 该遗址的猛犸象和乳齿象的生活史是什么？ 5）考虑到标本数量巨大，我们可以对野牛、猛犸象和乳齿象进行复合种群分析吗？ 6) 落基山的气候和生物记录与当今的气候变化问题有什么相关性？为了回答这些首要问题和其他更具体的问题，我们组建了一个由来自 15 个机构的 32 名科学家组成的团队，分为六个小组对齐格勒水库化石湖进行全面的多学科研究。这些组是： 1）区域和地方地质学； 2）地层学； 3）地质年代学； 4）脊椎动物化石； 5）植物化石； 6）无脊椎动物化石。利用这种方法，我们正在设计一个计划：1）在2011年5月至6月挖掘坝址中剩余的化石资源，然后在7月至9月计划的大坝建设中将坝址掩埋； 2）实施全面的科学研究计划来研究和了解该遗址； 3）保存和保存现场的化石； 4) 利用这一发现的成果为当地、区域、国家和国际受众提供世界一流的教育机会。 DMNS 正在为 2011 年发掘计划制定全面的媒体和纪录片计划，DMNS 教育工作者将于 2011 年春季返回 Roaring Fork Valley，为所有 Roaring Fork Valley 学校的 K-12 学生提供免费教育计划，包括校内集会计划、远程教育计划www.dmns.org 上提供学习计划、教师专业发展计划和幼儿教育资源。这笔赠款将部分资助 2011 年活动的实地考察部分。