Collaborative Research: Faunal Composition, Provinciality and Paleobiolgy of a Late Cretaceous Arctic Vertebrate Assemblage Revealed Through Cross-Latitudinal Comparisons

合作研究：通过跨纬度比较揭示白垩纪晚期北极脊椎动物群的动物群组成、省域性和古生物学

• 批准号: 1736256
• 负责人: Jaelyn Eberle
• 金额: $ 9.22万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-09-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1736256&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Faunal; Composition; Provinciality; Collaborative; Research; Faunal; Composition; Provinciality

The 70-million year old Prince Creek Formation of Arctic Alaska provides fossil evidence that a surprisingly diverse array of dinosaurs, birds, flying reptiles and small mammals lived in polar forests characterized by warm summers and five- to six-months of darkness and snowfall during the polar winter. Enduring these seasonally intense and variable conditions makes these animals uniquely suited to test major paleobiological questions pertaining to physiology, migration, body size changes, ecology and distribution. This project will examine these questions through new Arctic specimen collections and identifications, temperature determinations and growth studies, and comparison to findings with animals living at warmer lower latitudes. This project will bring together a diverse team of scientists who will share new ideas and methodologies and contribute to the education and training of graduate and undergraduate students. Results will be disseminated in scientific venues and presented publicly through museum exhibitions and K-12 presentations. The latter will include visits to rural, northern Alaskan schools to provide underserved Alaska Native students and teachers with an opportunity to learn about the fossils in their area and interact with NSF-sponsored researchers. Using macro- and microfossil remains, this study will establish a comprehensive dataset on the faunal composition of a Mesozoic polar assemblage, including descriptions of probable new species unique to the Arctic. Statistical techniques will be used to compare the faunal compositions between mid- and high latitudes to understand North American distribution patterns. Histological analyses of bones and teeth will provide the first rigorous testing of the affects of polar environments on the growth and physiology of dinosaurs and mammals. Lastly, a novel technique using biomarkers will be used to provide more precise paleotemperature estimates to understand the temperature regime experienced by the polar fauna.

北极阿拉斯加占地7000万年的王子溪形成提供了化石证据，表明在极地冬季，恐怖，鸟类，飞行爬行动物和小型哺乳动物的各种各样的恐龙，鸟类，飞行爬行动物和小型哺乳动物都生活在五到六个月的冬季，这些森林中有五到六个月的黑暗和降雪。忍受这些季节性强度和可变条件，使这些动物独特地适合测试与生理学，迁移，体型变化，生态学和分布有关的主要古生物学问题。该项目将通过新的北极标本收集和识别，温度确定和生长研究来检查这些问题，并将其与生活在温暖较低纬度的动物进行比较。该项目将汇集一个多元化的科学家团队，他们将分享新的想法和方法论，并为研究生和本科生的教育和培训做出贡献。结果将在科学场所传播，并通过博物馆展览和K-12演讲公开展示。后者将包括访问农村的阿拉斯加北部学校，为服务不足的阿拉斯加本地学生和老师提供了了解其地区化石并与NSF赞助的研究人员互动的机会。使用宏观化石和微化石遗迹，这项研究将建立一个有关中生代极性组合的动植物组成的综合数据集，包括对北极特有的可能新物种的描述。统计技术将用于比较中纬度和高纬度之间的动物组合物，以了解北美分布模式。骨骼和牙齿的组织学分析将对极地环境对恐龙和哺乳动物生长和生理的影响进行首次严格测试。最后，使用生物标志物的新技术将用于提供更精确的古温估计，以了解极性动物群体所经历的温度状态。