COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Taphonomy, paleoecology, and evolution of mammals and squamates from Egg Mountain: An exceptional view of a Late Cretaceous ecosystem

合作研究：埋藏学、古生态学以及蛋山哺乳动物和有鳞动物的进化：白垩纪晚期生态系统的独特视角

• 批准号: 1325457
• 负责人: Simone Hoffmann
• 金额: $ 1.61万
• 依托单位: New York Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-10-01 至 2017-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1325457&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; Taphonomy; paleoecology; evolution

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Taphonomy, paleoecology, and evolution of mammals and squamates from Egg Mountain: An exceptional view of a Late Cretaceous ecosystemGregory Wilson, University of WashingtonDavid Varricchio, Montana State UniversityJack Conrad, New York Institute of TechnologyABSTRACT (non-technical) - Modern mammals and lizards had their origins in the Cretaceous (145-66 million years ago) geological period within the shadow of the dinosaurs. However, the poor fossil record of these small-bodied groups has hindered a clear understanding of their early evolution. Recent excavation at a long idle dinosaur locality in the Two Medicine Formation of Montana (Egg Mountain) has produced abundant, exceptionally well-preserved and largely un-transported fossils of both groups. Already, Egg Mountain has contributed more relatively complete skulls and skeletons of mammals and lizards than any other locality of the same geologic age in North America. Our research will investigate the preservational history, the evolutionary history, and the ecologies of these new specimens. Through this integrative approach, we will investigate the ecological significance of the unique Egg Mountain assemblage, how mammals and lizards partitioned resources in these ancient ecosystems and the pattern of phylogenetic and ecologic diversification within Late Cretaceous (100-66 million years ago) mammals and lizards. With the incorporation of more complete skeletons, this research will clarify our understanding of the evolutionary history of these groups, characterize the ecology of fossil relatives of modern mammals and lizards, and shed light on the nature of Late Cretaceous(100-66 million years ago) land-based ecosystems and the diversification and geographic distribution of ancient mammals and lizards. The integrated approach together with an exceptional fossil assemblage will greatly increase our understanding of land based ecosystem structure and dynamics and inform studies on other localities with large fossil sample sizes of more poorly preserved remains of the same geologic time period. The proposed research promises to lead to major insights that will impact the scientific community and the broader public. These findings will be disseminated via publication of results, training for undergraduates and graduate students, and public outreach through museum programs. Among the PIs, there are two early career scientists, both of whom are underrepresented minorities (one Latino and one Native American), and among the graduate students, one is a first-generation college student and U.S. military veteran.

合作研究：埋藏学、古生态学以及蛋山哺乳动物和有鳞动物的进化：白垩纪晚期生态系统的独特视角格雷戈里·威尔逊，华盛顿大学大卫·瓦里奇奥，蒙大拿州立大学杰克·康拉德，纽约理工学院摘要（非技术性） - 现代哺乳动物蜥蜴起源于白垩纪（145-6600万年前）地质时期恐龙。然而，这些小型群体的化石记录很少，阻碍了对其早期进化的清晰了解。最近在蒙大拿州双药组（蛋山）一个长期闲置的恐龙栖息地进行的挖掘工作，发现了丰富的、保存异常完好且大部分未运输的两类恐龙化石。蛋山所提供的哺乳动物和蜥蜴的头骨和骨骼比北美同一地质时代的任何其他地方都多。我们的研究将调查这些新标本的保存历史、进化历史和生态。通过这种综合方法，我们将研究独特的蛋山组合的生态意义、哺乳动物和蜥蜴如何在这些古代生态系统中分配资源以及晚白垩世（100-6600万年前）哺乳动物和蜥蜴的系统发育和生态多样化模式。随着更完整的骨骼的加入，这项研究将阐明我们对这些类群进化历史的理解，描述现代哺乳动物和蜥蜴化石亲属的生态特征，并揭示晚白垩世（100-6600万年前）的本质）陆地生态系统以及古代哺乳动物和蜥蜴的多样化和地理分布。综合方法与特殊的化石组合将极大地增加我们对陆地生态系统结构和动态的理解，并为对同一地质时期拥有大量化石样本、保存更差的遗迹的其他地区的研究提供信息。拟议的研究有望带来影响科学界和更广泛公众的重大见解。这些发现将通过结果发布、本科生和研究生培训以及通过博物馆项目进行公众宣传来传播。在 PI 中，有两名早期职业科学家，两人都是代表性不足的少数族裔（一名拉丁裔和一名美洲原住民），而在研究生中，一名是第一代大学生和美国退伍军人。