Dissertation Research: Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and Paleobiology of Late Paleocene Plesiadapidae (Mammalia, Primates): Implications for the Origin of Euprimates

论文研究：晚古新世 Plesiadapidae（哺乳动物、灵长类）的分类学、系统发育和古生物学：对真灵长类起源的启示

• 批准号: 0622544
• 负责人: David Krause
• 金额: $ 0.84万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Stony Brook
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-01 至 2009-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0622544&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Taxonomy; Phylogeny; Paleobiology

This project seeks to determine the ancestral skeletal structure and ecological niche of a family of archaic primates, the Plesiadapidae, which lived primarily during the Paleocene epoch, 65-55 million years ago, in North America and Europe.Modern primates, including apes and humans, New and Old World monkeys, lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers, are recognized by a unique suite of anatomical features of the skeleton. The common ancestor of modern primates also had these features, as well as certain other features retained by only some primate groups today. Several hypotheses exist regarding the adaptive significance of these "ancestral primate features", which can be most directly tested using the fossil record. This study of the Plesiadapidae, a close fossil relative of the common ancestor of modern primates, can help illuminate the pattern of acquisition of primate features through the history of change in a lineage leading from non-primates to modern primates. It thereby tests adaptive hypotheses that predict simultaneous appearance (in the same fossil) of certain sets of features.Specifically, the PI is gathering data that ultimately bears on the recent controversial hypothesis that specializations for grasping with an opposable big toe, sporting a nail, instead of a claw, preceded acquisition of certain features of the visual system (forward facing orbits) in the ecological history of primates. Determination of characteristics of the ancestor of Plesiadapidae requires a revision of species level taxonomy, a revision of inter-relationships among members of the group, and a comprehensive quantitative study of the ecological niche of these animals, including aspects of dietary preference and locomotor repertoires.Pilot data suggest that the taxonomy and pattern of relationships among members of the Plesiadapidae are poorly understood, but that new data and analyses will clarify the genealogy. Further, new skeletal material suggests that early members had a better-developed grasping foot than later members, which went on to develop numerous, currently undocumented, ecological specializations.Broader impacts of this project include the potential to clarify the ecological context in which physical features characterizing modern primates first appeared. Such information is of interest to physical and behavioral anthropologists, neontologists, neurobiologists, the broader scientific community, and even the public in general because it provides an explanation of the mechanisms by which primates and humans acquired their distinctive features. These explanations affect the types of research questions that are pursued in related fields. Furthermore, this project will create a large data archive in the form of (1) high resolution CT-scan images of skulls, and (2) laser scan images and digital photographs of teeth and postcranial bones that can be used in other quantitative studies in which morphology of plesiadapid primates is relevant. The grant will also provide training for a graduate student.

该项目旨在确定一个古老的灵长类家族的祖先骨骼结构和生态位，该家族主要生活在6500万至5500万年前的古新世时期，主要生活在北美和欧洲。现代灵长类，包括猿和人类，新大陆和旧大陆的猴子，狐猴，懒猴和眼镜猴，通过骨骼的一套独特的解剖特征来识别。 现代灵长类动物的共同祖先也有这些特征，以及今天只有一些灵长类动物群体保留的某些其他特征。 关于这些“灵长类祖先特征”的适应意义存在几种假设，这些假设可以最直接地使用化石记录进行测试。 这项研究的Plesiadapidae，现代灵长类动物的共同祖先的化石近亲，可以帮助阐明灵长类动物的功能，通过在从非灵长类动物到现代灵长类动物的血统的变化历史的收购模式。 因此，它测试了预测某些特征集同时出现（在同一化石中）的适应性假设，具体来说，PI正在收集最终与最近有争议的假设有关的数据，即在灵长类动物的生态历史中，在获得视觉系统的某些特征（前向轨道）之前，专门使用可对生的大脚趾抓握，运动指甲，而不是爪子。 要确定近Adapidae的祖先特征，需要对近Adapidae的种级分类学进行修订，修订该类群成员之间的相互关系，并对这些动物的生态位进行全面的定量研究，包括饮食偏好和运动能力方面的研究。初步数据表明，近Adapidae的分类和成员之间的关系模式知之甚少，但新的数据和分析将澄清家谱。 此外，新的骨骼材料表明，早期成员有一个更好的发展抓脚比后来的成员，这继续发展了许多，目前没有记录，生态specializations.broader的影响，这个项目包括可能澄清的生态环境中，物理特征的现代灵长类动物首次出现。 这些信息对身体和行为人类学家、新生物学家、神经生物学家、更广泛的科学界甚至一般公众都很感兴趣，因为它解释了灵长类动物和人类获得其独特特征的机制。 这些解释影响了相关领域所追求的研究问题的类型。此外，该项目还将创建一个大型数据档案库，其形式为（1）颅骨的高分辨率CT扫描图像，以及（2）牙齿和后颅骨的激光扫描图像和数字照片，可用于其他定量研究，其中与灵长类动物的形态学有关。 这笔赠款还将为一名研究生提供培训。