REU: Paleocene and Eocene Faunas of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming: Excavation, Preparation and Research

这个项目是一个五年努力的最后两年，包括收集、准备和研究怀俄明州东部风T+河盆地中灭绝的脊椎动物的杰出遗骸。具体来说，该项目包括：(1)挖掘极其庞大的化石采石场，这些采石场产生了犀牛、偶趾有蹄类动物、蝙蝠、有袋动物和啮齿动物等许多种群最早的祖先的头骨、骨骼和牙齿（5000万年前）；(2)调查邻近的荒地岩石（6000万至3500万年前），从更长的时间序列和更广泛的古生态背景中恢复更多的脊椎动物化石，以重建古代生态系统和生物多样性；(3)这些古代动物的相互关系。分析古生物问题。迄今为止，该项目取得的成就包括：(1)发现并挖掘了60%的极其丰富的采石场，保存了许多始新世哺乳动物和蜥蜴的头骨和骨骼，迄今为止仅从牙齿和颌骨中了解；(2)对古代有袋动物、灵长类动物、犰狳类动物、啮齿动物、古代有蹄类动物和偶趾有蹄类动物的材料进行科学描述和分析；(3)对新的、显著的标本进行分析，例如：首次发现的类眼镜猴Shoshonius头骨推翻了传统的灵长类动物进化树的观点；类狐猴Notharctus venticolus的头骨显示了灵长类两性二态性的最古老记录，暗示了早期灵长类动物的社会行为；新发现的啮齿类动物Armintomys的头骨揭示了最早出现的一种被称为舌形的特殊颌骨结构，这是啮齿动物的一个主要进化创新；(4)利用常规地质技术和卫星/飞机遥感影像对落基山脉西部内陆始新世动物群和层位进行更精确的地质和地层对比；(5)生物多样性和动物区系变化分析；(6)对进化模式过程的详细研究。自1988年以来，这些成就已被记录在专业期刊上的23篇论文、学生学位论文和论文以及专业会议上的演讲中。

This project -- the final two years of a five-year endeavor -- involves the collecting, preparation and study of outstanding remains of extinct vertebrates from the eastern Wind T+River Basin, Wyoming. Specifically, the project involves: (1) the excavation of extremely reich fossil quarries that produce unparalleled skulls, skeletons, and dentitions (50 million years old) of the earliest forerunners of many groups os rhinoceroses, even-toed ungulates, bats, marsupials and rodents: (2) survey of adjacent badland rocks (60 million to 35 million years old) to recover additional fossil vertebrates from a longer temporal sequence and broader paleoecological settings in order to reconstruct ancient ecosystems and biodiversity; and (3) the and relationships of these ancient animals. Analysis of the paleobiological problems. Accomplishments of this project to date include: (1) discovery and 60% excavation of extremely rich quarries preserving skulls and skeletons of many Eocene mammals and lizards hitherto known only from teeth and jaws; (2) scientific descriptions and analyses of the material representing ancient marsupials, primates, armadillo-like beasts, rodents, archaic ungulates, and even-toed ungulates: (3) analyses of new, remarkable specimens, e.g.: first known skulls of tarsier-like Shoshonius has overturned traditional views on the primate evolutionary tree; skulls of the lemur-like Notharctus venticolus demonstrate the oldest record of primate sexual dimorphism and imply early primate social behaviors; skull of new rodent, Armintomys, reveals earliest appearance of a specialized jaw structure called hystricomorphy, a major evolutionary innovation in rodents; (4) more precise geology and stratigraphic correlation of Eocene faunas and horizons n the Western Interior of the Rocky Mountains using conventional geologic techniques, and satellite/aircraft remote sensing imagery; (5) analysis of biodiversity and faunal change through time; and (6) detailed studies of evolutionary patterns processes through time. Since 1988, these accomplishments have been documented in 23 papers in professional journals, student dissertations and theses, and presentations at professional meetings.