Study of Fossils of Early Terrestrial Arthropods

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This proposal requests funding to search for and study fossils of early land animals in North America. The time intervals to be studied are the Silurian and Devonian Periods, spanning from about 440 million years ago to about 360 million years ago. The fossils are of arachnids (spiders, etc.), myriapods (centipeds and millipeds), and insects as well as a few groups of animals that are entirely extinct. The fossils are preserved as organic remains in sedimentary rocks and are removed by digesting the rocks with hydrofluoric acid. The material obtained in this way will aid in understanding the evolution of early life on land, the relationships within and among the groups named, and how these early animals functioned.