Maestrichtian Land Mammals of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula

Woodburne 9615933案例 摘要马斯特里赫特阶被认为是冈瓦纳大陆南部从澳大利亚到南极洲和南美洲陆地哺乳动物区系发展的一个关键时期。 到目前为止，在这些大陆上还没有发现马斯特里赫特阶的陆地哺乳动物化石。 南极半岛维加岛的洛佩斯德贝尔托达诺组是冈瓦纳大陆南部发现马斯特里赫特期陆生哺乳动物遗骸的最佳地点。这个项目的目的是抓住这个机会，作为一个合作企业之间的圣玛丽大学，加州大学，滨江，和阿根廷科学家。 目前的理论预测，南极洲目前未知的Maestrichtian时代的陆地哺乳动物群应该包括：（1）一套来自Albian-Campanian动物群的非兽亚目的残余，这些动物群占据了冈瓦纳南部从澳大利亚到南极洲再到南美洲;（2）一个由残余的Peradectid和更衍生的早期澳大拉西亚成员组成的有袋动物复合体。 澳大利亚人应该包括（目前）南美洲微兽科的早期成员，以及（目前）澳大利亚Peramelina，Dasyromorphium和Diprotodontia的早期谱系。 该奖项支持在南极半岛詹姆斯罗斯岛盆地的维加岛进行实地研究，以检验马斯特里赫特陆地哺乳动物区系组成方面的这一假设。 这个地点是根据其已知的生产马斯特里赫特时代脊椎动物的生产力而选择的（老鸟科鸟类和高齿恐龙）在洛佩斯德贝尔托达诺组的近岸细粒浅水海洋砂岩中，适合干或湿筛分收集方法，在西摩岛始新世中期的La Meseta组中，已经证明成功地从类似的相中获得哺乳动物化石的方法。 这是与阿根廷南极研究所和阿根廷拉普拉塔博物馆的合作项目。 MLP人员正在合作研究南美洲和南极洲晚白垩世至早第三纪兽形哺乳动物的进化历史，以及这些哺乳动物与澳大利亚早期人口的潜在关系。 与国际宇航科学院人员的合作重点是海洋层序的岩石地层学和生物地层学。 第一个赠款年（1997年）将集中审查现有材料。 第二年和第三年将专注于维加岛的实地考察，并对任何化石发现进行后续检查。 IAA将为美国和阿根廷人员提供所有南极后勤支持，包括从阿根廷到西摩岛的旅行，以及实地后勤支持。 在整个项目期间，将视需要对参与机构进行合作访问。

OPP 9615236 Woodburne OPP 9615933 Case Abstract The Maestrichtian is considered to have been a key interval in the development of the land mammal fauna of southern Gondwana from Australia to Antarctica and South America. Up to now, no Maestrichtian fossil land mammals have been found in any of these continents. The Lopez de Bertodano Formation of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula, shows the best potential of yielding remains of land mammals of Maestrichtian age in any southern Gondwana location. This project is designed to grasp that opportunity as a collaborative venture between St. Mary's University, University of California, Riverside, and Argentine scientists. Current theory predicts that the presently unknown Maestrichtian- age land mammal fauna in Antarctica should consist (1) of a suite of non-therian taxa remnant from an Albian-Campanian fauna that occupied southern Gondwana from Australia to Antarctica to South America and (2) a complex of marsupials composed of relict peradectids and more derived early members of australidelphians. The australidelphians should include early members of the (currently) South American Microbiotheriidae as well as early lineages of the (currently) Australian Peramelina, Dasyuromorphia and Diprotodontia. This awards supports work to test this hypothesis in terms of the composition of the Maestrichtian land mammal fauna by conducting field research in Vega Island of the James Ross Island basin, Antarctic Peninsula. The location has been chosen on the basis of its known productivity in yielding Maestrichtian-age vertebrates (presbyornithid birds and hypsilophodont dinosaurs) in near-shore fine-grained shallow-water marine sandstones of the Lopez de Bertodano Formation that are amenable to dry or wet sieving collecting methods, methods that have proven successful in obtaining fossil mammals from similar facies in the medial Eocene La Meseta Formation of Seymour Island. This is a cooperative project with the Antarct ic Institute, Argentina, (IAA) and the Museo de La Plata, Argentina (MLP). MLP personnel are collaborating on research into the evolutionary history of Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary therian mammals in South America and Antarctica and the potential relationship of these to the early population of Australia. The collaboration with IAA personnel is focused on litho- and biostratigraphy of the marine successions. The first grant year (1997) will focus on examining existing material. Years 2 and 3 will focus on field work on Vega Island and follow up examination of any fossil discoveries. The IAA will supply all Antarctic logistic support for US as well as Argentine personnel, including travel from Argentina to Seymour Island, and logistical support in the field. Collaborative visits to participating institutions will occur as required over the life of the project.