Survey and Study of Late Cretaceous Terrestrial Vertebrates from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia

该项目将继续对蒙古戈壁沙漠著名的晚白垩世火焰崖沉积物进行调查和盘点，该沉积物是20世纪20年代中亚探险队的所在地。AMNH之前的三次探险已经成功地恢复了大量保存完好的四足脊椎动物，特别是兽脚亚目恐龙、哺乳动物和一种新的特殊的不会飞的鸟类，它们像鼹鼠一样适应挖掘。这些探险队还使用GPS绘制了新旧地点的地图。10,000个标本的标本和地点/地质资料将输入电脑资料库。与蒙古当局和科学家的合作非常好，包括在蒙古的实地工作和蒙古科学家对AMNH的长期研究访问。该项目将继续对蒙古戈壁沙漠著名的晚白垩世恐龙床中的哺乳动物、爬行动物、两栖动物和鸟类化石进行调查。这次调查是在重新考察20世纪20年代中亚探险队的遗址，那里首次发现了恐龙蛋巢和其他重要化石。目前这个调查小组的前三次探险已经成功地恢复了大量保存完好的脊椎动物化石，特别是兽脚亚目恐龙、哺乳动物和一种新的特殊的不会飞的鸟类，它们像鼹鼠一样适应挖掘。与蒙古当局和科学家的合作非常好，包括在蒙古的实地工作和蒙古科学家在纽约美国博物馆的长期学习访问。对这些探险发现的化石的研究将有助于阐明6500万年前恐龙灭绝和气候变化的本质。

This project will continue a survey and inventory of the famous Late Cretaceous Flaming Cliffs deposits in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, site of the Central Asiatic Expeditions in the 1920s. Three previous expeditions by the AMNH has succeeded in recovering a wealth of well-preserved tetrapod vertebrates, especially theropod dinosaurs, mammals, and a new lineage of extraordinary flightless birds with mole-like adaptations for digging. These expeditions have also mapped old and new localities using GPS. Specimen and locality/geological information for the 10,000 specimens will be entered in a computer database. Cooperation with Mongolian authorities and scientists is excellent and includes field work in Mongolia and long-term study visits of Mongolian scientists to the AMNH. %%% This project will continue a survey of the fossil mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds from the famous Late Cretaceous dinosaur beds in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. This survey is revisiting the sites of the Central Asiatic Expeditions in the 1920s, which first discovered dinosaur egg nests and other important fossils. Three previous expeditions by this current survey team has succeeded in recovering a wealth of well-preserved fossil vertebrates, especially theropod dinosaurs, mammals, and a new lineage of extraordinary flightless birds with mole-like adaptations for digging. Cooperation with Mongolian authorities and scientists is excellent and includes field work in Mongolia and long-term study visits of Mongolian scientists at the American Museum in New York. Study of the fossils recovered by these expeditions will help elucidate the nature of dinosaur extinctions and climate change 65 million years ago.