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

这个项目--五年努力的最后两年--涉及收集、准备和研究怀俄明州东风T+河流域灭绝的脊椎动物的杰出遗骸。具体地说，该项目涉及：(1)挖掘极其丰富的化石采石场，这些采石场产生了无与伦比的头骨、骨骼和牙列(5000万年前)，这些化石是许多物种的最早的祖先犀牛、偶趾有蹄类动物、蝙蝠、有袋类和啮齿动物：(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环境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；以及(3)这些古代动物的关系。古生物学问题的分析。到目前为止，该项目的成就包括：(1)发现并发掘了极其丰富的采石场，保存了许多始新世哺乳动物和蜥蜴的头骨和骨骼，迄今仅从牙齿和颌骨中发现；(2)对代表古代有袋类动物、灵长类动物、类螳螂、啮齿动物、古老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、引人注目的标本的分析，例如：第一个已知的类鞑靼类Shoshonius头骨颠覆了关于灵长类进化树的传统观点；与狐猴类似的脉络灵长类动物的头骨展示了灵长类动物性别二态的最古老记录，并暗示了早期灵长类动物的社会行为；新啮齿动物Armintomys的头骨揭示了一种名为半形态的专门颌骨结构的最早出现，这是啮齿动物的一项重大进化创新；(4)利用常规地质技术和卫星/飞机遥感图像，对始新世动物群和落基山脉西部内陆层位进行更精确的地质和地层对比；(5)分析生物多样性和动物群随时间的变化；(6)详细研究随时间演变的模式过程。自1988年以来，这些成就被记录在专业期刊、学生论文和论文以及在专业会议上发表的23篇论文中。

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.