Theoretical Morphology and Spatial Analysis of Trace Fossils

痕量化石的理论形态和空间分析

• 批准号: 0207194
• 负责人: Roy Plotnick
• 金额: $ 12万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-09-01 至 2005-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0207194&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Theoretical; Morphology; Spatial; Analysis; Trace

Theoretical Morphology and Spatial Analysis of Trace FossilsRoy E. PlotnickUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoEAR-0207194ABSTRACTTrace fossils represent the preserved interactions of trace making organisms with their environment. The exact forms of traces result from complex interactions among the organism's morphology, the behavior being carried out, the organism's perception of the environment, and the heterogeneity of the environment. The study of trace fossils thus allows us to study the evolution of animal movement in 'deep time'. Existing mathematical models for the biological formation of traces have tended to focus on a limited repertoire of behaviors, such as grazing. They do not include realistic patterns of environmental heterogeneity, differences in perception, or multiple behavioral responses. In addition, there have been almost no attempts to model three-dimensional traces, or traces that branch or anastomose. New models for grazing and crawling traces will be built based on current research by ecologists into animal perception and movement patterns and their relationship to environmental heterogeneity. These models will explore the interactions of alternative spatial patterns of environmental heterogeneity with different perceptions and behavioral responses to it. They will also incorporate recent concepts in the study of artificial life. The new models could suggest how behavioral patterns for a given trace-making organism might change as a function of environmental differences, such as resource distribution. This could be a useful tool for determining such patterns of spatial heterogeneity in ancient environments.

遗迹化石的理论形态学与空间分析。摘要遗迹化石代表了保存下来的遗迹生物与环境的相互作用。 痕迹的确切形式是由有机体的形态、所进行的行为、有机体对环境的感知以及环境的异质性之间的复杂相互作用产生的。因此，遗迹化石的研究使我们能够研究动物运动在“深时间”的进化。现有的数学模型的生物形成的痕迹往往集中在有限的剧目的行为，如放牧。 它们不包括环境异质性、感知差异或多种行为反应的现实模式。 此外，几乎没有尝试对三维迹线或分支或分叉的迹线进行建模。 将根据生态学家目前对动物感知和运动模式及其与环境异质性的关系的研究，建立放牧和爬行痕迹的新模型。 这些模型将探索环境异质性的不同空间模式与不同感知和行为反应的相互作用，还将纳入人工生命研究中的最新概念。 新的模型可以表明，一个给定的痕迹制造生物体的行为模式可能会随着环境差异（如资源分布）的变化而变化。 这可能是一个有用的工具，以确定这种模式的空间异质性在古代环境。