Early Cretaceous Birds from China: A Systematic Revision of Enantiornithes

中国早白垩世鸟类：对映鸟类的系统修正

• 批准号: 0317140
• 负责人: Luis Chiappe
• 金额: $ 14.22万
• 依托单位: Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-10-01 至 2007-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0317140&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Early; Cretaceous; Birds; China; Systematic

Abstract for DEB-0317140A grant has been awarded to Dr. Luis M. Chiappe of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to conduct 3 years of internationally cooperative research on a series of exceptionally well-preserved fossil birds from Northwestern China. The core of this project is a collection of 125 million-year-old fossils belonging to a group of extinct flying birds, the Enantiornithes, which represents one of the most primitive chapters of the evolution of birds. In spite of their significance, these ancient fossils have remained superficially studied and their evolutionary relationships poorly understood. The purpose of this research grant is to describe the anatomy of these fossils and to use this information to clarify their evolutionary interrelationships. This project will produce knowledge about the early history of birds and the evolutionary transformations that ultimately led to the unique physical characteristics of modern birds.The proposed study will have a significant impact on the professional development of two junior Chinese scientists, who will conduct 3-month internships at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and will strengthen the cooperation between US and Chinese institutions. In addition, through popular articles and media coverage, the important scientific knowledge contained in these fossils will be conveyed to the public.

洛杉矶县自然历史博物馆的Luis M.Chiappe博士获得了一项为期3年的国际合作研究经费，用于对中国西北地区保存极为完好的一系列鸟类化石进行研究。该项目的核心是收集1.25亿年前的化石，这些化石属于一种已灭绝的飞鸟--食鸟，它代表了鸟类进化过程中最原始的篇章之一。尽管它们具有重要意义，但这些古老的化石仍然停留在表面上，它们的进化关系鲜为人知。这项研究拨款的目的是描述这些化石的解剖结构，并利用这些信息来阐明它们在进化上的相互关系。该项目将提供有关鸟类早期历史以及最终导致现代鸟类独特身体特征的进化变化的知识。这项拟议的研究将对两名年轻的中国科学家的专业发展产生重大影响，他们将在洛杉矶县自然历史博物馆进行为期3个月的实习，并将加强美中机构之间的合作。此外，还将通过热门文章和媒体报道，向公众传达这些化石中蕴含的重要科学知识。