Anatomy and evolution of stem primates

干灵长类动物的解剖和进化

• 批准号: 283140-2010
• 负责人: Silcox, Mary
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=525620
• 关键词: Anatomy; evolution; stem; primates

Non-human primates are of special interest to us as our closest evolutionary kin. In recent years new discoveries of fossils from our earliest relatives, the stem primate group the Plesiadapiformes, has begun to shed light on the first phases of our evolution. This research seeks to continue these advancements through two inter-related initiatives. First, high resolution X-ray CT (catscan) data will be used to reconstruct endocasts (internal models of the skull which reflect brain anatomy) from fossil primates and from our close living and fossil relatives. This research will provide a better understanding of what is primitive for Primates in terms of the size and form of the brain, and to document changes in this critical organ during the first 15 million years of primate evolution. Second, new fossils will be studied and described from the plesiadapiform family Microsyopidae and its close relatives, allowing for a better understanding of the relationships of groups of fossil primates to one another, and of the primitive traits that characterized our ultimate ancestors. The ultimate goal of this research is to fill out the picture of our early evolution in terms of both relationships and patterns of adaptive change, and to help to characterize what makes our Order distinct from the rest of Mammalia.

非人类灵长类动物作为我们最接近的进化性亲戚特别感兴趣。 近年来，我们最早的亲戚STEM灵长类动物群Plesiadapiformes的化石新发现已开始揭示我们进化的第一阶段。 这项研究旨在通过两项相互关联的举措继续这些进步。 首先，高分辨率的X射线CT（CATSCAN）数据将用于重建来自化石灵长类动物以及我们亲密的生活和化石亲属的内脏（反映脑解剖结构的颅骨内部模型）。 这项研究将更好地理解有关灵长类动物在大脑的大小和形式方面的原始内容，并在灵长类动物演变的头1500万年中记录这种关键器官的变化。 其次，将从Plesiadapiform家族微虫科及其近亲研究新化石，并可以更好地理解化石灵长类动物群体的关系，以及彼此之间的原始特征，这些特征是我们最终祖先的特征。 这项研究的最终目的是在适应性变化的关系和模式方面填写我们早期演变的图片，并帮助表征使我们的订单与其他哺乳动物不同的原因。