Dissertation Research: Pliocene Mammalian Fauna of the Ndolanya Beds, Laetoli, Northern Tanzania

论文研究：坦桑尼亚北部拉埃托利恩多兰亚床的上新世哺乳动物动物群

• 批准号: 8713617
• 负责人: Donald Savage
• 金额: $ 1万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1987
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1987-10-15 至 1989-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8713617&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Pliocene; Mammalian; Fauna

The Pliocene was a time of dramatic evolutionary and climatic change in East Africa, yet it is poorly understood. This project will enhance our knowledge of mammalian evolution during this period by analyzing the abundant materials from the Ndolanya Beds at Laetoli, northern Tanzania. This is one of the few sites that dates to this important period; its geographical location and temporal placement between the Laetolil Bed and Olduvai Bed I make it especially important. Specifically, the student, working with noted geologists, anthropologists, and biologists, will attempt to refine the dating of the Ndolanya fauna and identify previously inadequately documented vertebrate taxa. This will enable the student to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of the area. The research has the potential to have an important impact on paleoanthropology and our knowledge of the environment in which Pliocene hominidae lived. It will provide proper geological and temporal controls so that hominidae finds (Australopithecus boisei and Homo habilis) can be placed in their environmental context.

上新世是东非发生剧烈进化和气候变化的时期，但人们对它知之甚少。该项目将通过分析坦桑尼亚北部Laetoli Ndolanya床的丰富材料，提高我们对这一时期哺乳动物进化的认识。这是少数几个可以追溯到这一重要时期的遗址之一；它的地理位置和在Laetolil床和Olduvai床I之间的时间位置使它特别重要。具体来说，该学生将与著名的地质学家、人类学家和生物学家合作，试图完善恩多拉尼亚动物群的年代，并确定以前文献不足的脊椎动物分类群。这将使学生能够重建该地区的古环境。这项研究有可能对古人类学和我们对上新世人科生存环境的认识产生重要影响。它将提供适当的地质和时间控制，以便将人类发现（boisei南方古猿和能人）置于其环境背景中。