COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Evolution & Phylogeny of Titanosauria

公开摘要巨大的、长颈的、以植物为食的蜥脚类恐龙在陆地生态系统中蓬勃发展了1.5亿年，期间发生了戏剧性的大陆分裂。泰坦龙是最多样化(40多个物种)、寿命最长、分布最广的蜥脚类恐龙，但其进化关系仍鲜为人知。这项研究将调查全球泰龙解剖和骨骼微结构的多样性，以解决泰龙的进化和生活史和发育问题。我们收集的解剖学数据将有助于构建第一个得到充分支持的泰坦龙系谱假说。骨骼微结构数据将使人们能够检查各种泰龙的生长速度和发育特征，其中包括巨型和矮型恐龙。综合这些数据将能够评估泰坦龙体内的体型进化和生活史特征，这将是未来研究泰龙觅食专门化、运动和古生物地理学进化的核心。该项目的全球性迫使与国际同事和学生进行合作。发表的论文和在线资源将允许国际研究人员访问我们的数据和结果。培训本科生和研究生是一个优先事项，在项目期间，资金将支持研究生和本科生。研究人员致力于通过博物馆展品、对公众友好的网站和讲座向公众传播研究成果。

PUBLIC ABSTRACT Gigantic, long-necked, plant-eating sauropod dinosaurs flourished in terrestrial ecosystems for 150 million years during an episode of dramatic continental fragmentation. Titanosauria is the most diverse (40+ species), long-lived, and widely distributed sauropod lineage, but its evolutionary relationships remain poorly understood. This study will survey the global diversity of titanosaur anatomy and bone microstructure to resolve questions of titanosaur evolution and life history, and development. Anatomical data we collect will allow construction of the first well-supported hypothesis of titanosaur genealogy. Bone microstructural data will allow examination of growth rates and developmental traits across a diverse range of titanosaurs, which include gigantic and dwarf forms. Synthesis of these data will allow assessment of body size evolution and life history traits within Titanosauria, which will be central to future examinations of the evolution of titanosaur feeding specializations, locomotion, and paleobiogeography. The global nature of this project compels collaboration with international colleagues and students. Published papers and online resources will allow international researchers to access our data and results. Training undergraduate and graduate students is a priority, and funding will support graduate and undergraduate students for the duration of the project. The PIs are committed to public dissemination of research results via museum exhibits, public-friendly websites, and lectures.