Geobiology of Critical Intervals: Developing an Initiative

斯坦利9633772这项提案寻求资金用于编制一份文件，该文件将为国家科学基金会在古生物学领域的一项倡议提供建议，标题为《关键时期的地质生物学》。所讨论的时间间隔代表了广泛的时间和空间尺度，包括不寻常的环境条件的时间，如全球变暖或大范围的海洋缺氧。它们还包括重要的生物转变，如生物地理转变和进化更替事件。该倡议应产生研究成果，为我们星球的生态系统未来可能发生的变化提供有价值的见解。它应该部分地通过促进本来不会相互合作的研究人员--各种类型的地质生物学家和地质年代学、物理地层学、古海洋学、古气候学、地球化学等领域的研究人员--之间的互动来实现其目标。正在为将于1996年春在华盛顿特区举办的讲习班寻求资金。不同的参与者小组将审查各种相关的主题，提取一般主题，并为一份文件汇编大纲。然后，一部分参与者将在征求一般研究社区的意见后撰写文件，专家将在最终文件汇编之前审查草稿。

Stanley 9633772 This proposal seeks funding for production of a document that will offer recommendations for an NSF initiative in the field of paleontology under the title Geobiology of Critical Intervals. The intervals in question, representing a broad range of temporal and spatial scales, include times of unusual environmental conditions, such as global warmth or widespread oceanic anoxia. They also include important biotic transitions, such as biogeographic shifts and episodes of evolutionary turnover. The initiative should generate studies that provide valuable insights relating to possible future changes in the ecosystems of our planet. It should accomplish its goals in part by promoting interactions between researchers who would not otherwise collaborate with one another-- geobiologists of various types and researchers in such areas as geochronology, physical stratigraphy, paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, geochemistry. Funding is sought for a workshop to be held in Washington, D.C. in the spring of 1996. A diverse group of participants will review a variety of relevant topics, extract general themes, and assemble an outline for a document. A subset of the participants will then write the document after seeking input from the general research community, and experts will review a draft before the final documentation is assembled.