Collaborative Research: RUI: An Integrative Paleontological And Paleoenvironmental Study Of The Middle Cambrian Spence, Wheeler, And Marjum Soft-Bodied Faunas

合作研究：RUI：中寒武世 Spence、Wheeler 和 Marjum 软体动物群的综合古生物学和古环境研究

• 批准号: 0518976
• 负责人: Bruce Lieberman
• 金额: $ 11万
• 依托单位: University of Kansas Center for Research Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-01 至 2008-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0518976&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; RUI; Integrative; Paleontological

The study of Cambrian soft-bodied faunas has greatly enhanced our understanding ofsome key events in metazoan evolution. However, enigmas and incompletely describedCambrian Burgess Shale-type soft-bodied faunas still remain, as does the question of why andhow Burgess Shale-type preservation occurs. The immediate objectives of the proposed researchfor which funding is requested are: 1) to prepare, describe, monograph, and fit into aphylogenetic and paleobiogeographic framework new taxa from the Middle Cambrian softbodiedfaunas of the Spence Member and the Wheeler and Marjum Formations using recentcollections made from Utah; 2) to use microanalytical techniques to determine the taphonomy ofthe fossils at the specimen-level; and 3) to place the soft bodied organisms and the taphonomicprocesses involved in their preservation into a detailed paleoenvironmental framework usingnewly developed microstratigraphic techniques.The intellectual merit of this research is to address some enigmas in Cambrianpaleontology and geology, allowing multiple objectives to be attained. First, identifying andcharacterizing the elements of the Utah faunas will help establish which taxa are shared betweenthese formations and other Cambrian soft-bodied faunas distributed throughout the globe. Thus,the stratigraphic and geographic ranges of these species and genera can be determined. Second,in conjunction with pre-existing information, the phylogenetic relationships of the variousarthropods in the Spence, Wheeler, and Marjum can be evaluated. These objectives will increaseour understanding of Cambrian biogeography and also the nature and topology of importantearly episodes in animal evolution. Additionally, intensive taphonomic and microstratigraphicstudy of three of the principal Burgess Shale-type localities will lead to a refined understandingof the paleoenvironmental factors and taphonomic processes that controlled the preservation ofBurgess Shale faunas in the Cambrian, and will contribute to our understanding of why this typeof preservation is unique to the Cambrian. Due to the richness and significance of these poorlyknownfaunas, the excellent exposure across the study areas and the relatively low metamorphicgrade of mudstones hosting the soft-bodied faunas, this project also provides a rare opportunityto address phylogeny, paleoecology, and preservation in Burgess Shale-type deposits in aninterrelated context.Some of the faunas that will be studied are in collections housed at the University ofKansas (KU), and they are accompanied by precise locality data. There is also an emeritusprofessor at the University of Kansas, Dick Robison, with significant expertise in areas related tothis grant. Sue Halgedahl and Richard Jarrard, professors at the University of Utah, have alsoagreed to make their extensive collections of soft-bodied, Cambrian Burgess Shale-type faunasfrom Utah available to us for study; again, these are accompanied by precise locality data. Eachof these factors will greatly facilitate this proposed research.In terms of broader impacts, this project will contribute to the training of two graduatestudents, one at KU and one at the University of California, Riverside, who will participate in theproposed research activities and attend scientific meetings. Through the RUI program, thisproject will also contribute to the field and analytical training of multiple undergraduates fromPomona College, an undergraduate-only institution and member of the Keck geologyconsortium.

寒武纪柔软的动物群的研究大大增强了我们对后生动物进化中一些关键事件的理解。然而，谜团和未完全描述的库姆汉堡页岩型柔软的动物群仍然存在，这就是为什么会出现和为什么会出现伯吉斯页岩型保存的问题。要求提供资金的拟议研究的直接目标是：1）从Spence成员的中部寒武纪软体和Wheeler和Marjum组中使用犹他州的最新票据来准备，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，描述，专着并融入寒武纪中部的Spence Moftbodiedfaunas新的分类单元。 2）使用微分析技术来确定标本级化石的taphonomy； 3）将其保存涉及的软体生物和taphonomicprocess放置为使用新开发的微地层技术的详细的古环境框架。这项研究的知识优点是解决剑术研究和地质学中的一些谜团，从而可以实现多个目标。首先，确定犹他州动物区系的要素并将其介绍将有助于确定哪些分类单元是共享的，共享了整个世界上分布在全球范围内。因此，可以确定这些物种和属的地层和地理范围。其次，可以评估Spence，Wheeler和Marjum中各种关节脚架的系统发育关系。这些目标将增加对寒武纪生物地理学以及动物进化中重要发作的性质和拓扑的理解。此外，三个主要的伯吉斯页岩型区域的密集程度和微地层学院将导致对控制剑术中的burgess页岩式FAUNAS的保存的精致理解，从而有助于我们对这种类型的保留有助于我们对Comprian的理解。由于这些鲜为人知的faunas的丰富性和意义，整个研究领域的良好暴露以及相对较低的泥石石的变质型泥石构成了柔软的动物群，该项目也提供了一个难得的机会来解决系统的库存中，以解决伯格斯·沙尔（Burgess Shale）居住的群体中的库存中，以解决库尔格斯的库存中，这是在整个群体中的融合。 Ofkansas（KU），并伴随着精确的局部性数据。堪萨斯大学迪克·罗比森（Dick Robison）也有一位名誉专业人士，在相关领域的托托斯（Tothis）格兰特（Tothis Grant）方面具有重要的专业知识。犹他大学的教授Sue Halgedahl和Richard Jarrard也曾交流过大量的柔软的寒武纪汉堡页岩型Faunastype faunas，从犹他州进行研究；同样，这些伴随着精确的局部数据。这些因素的每个因素都将极大地促进这项拟议的研究。在更广泛的影响方面，该项目将有助于培训两个毕业生，其中一个在KU，一个在加利福尼亚大学Riverside，他们将参加公认的研究活动并参加科学会议。通过RUI计划，ThisProject还将为来自Pomona College的多个本科生的领域和分析培训做出了贡献，Pomona College是一家仅本科机构和Keck Geology Constortium的成员。