US-Madagascar Dissertation Enhancement: Timing and Cause of Extinction of the Elephant Bird (Aepyornis) in Madagascar

这一学位论文增强奖将资助斯蒂芬·德沃格尔关于象鸟灭绝的论文研究，象鸟是马达加斯加特有的一种大型、不会飞的鸟类。他将与马达加斯加塔那那利佛大学博物馆馆长尚塔尔·拉米拉希博士合作。象鸟蛋非常大(超过30x20厘米，近4毫米厚)，许多地方都有大量的蛋壳碎片。DeVogel将研究这些碎片，试图确定物种灭绝的时间，并区分气候变化、直接过度狩猎或人为生态系统变化可能是物种灭绝的原因。他将使用放射性碳测年和氨基酸消旋来确定样品的年代。他将确定样品的同位素组成，以检验有关饮食和水分消耗的潜在变化及其与物种灭绝事件的关联的假说。这笔赠款将为美国研究生提供一个机会，就一个及时的主题--人类对物种灭绝的影响--进行国际研究。该项目还将加强美国和马达加斯加科学家之间的合作研究联系，并有助于培训一名年轻的马达加斯加科学家。

This Dissertation Enhancement Award will fund Stephen DeVogel's dissertation research on the extinction of the elephant bird, a large, flightless bird endemic to Madagascar. He will collaborate with Dr. Chantal Radimilahy, Director of the University Museum in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Elephant bird eggs were very large (in excess of 30 x 20 cm, and nearly 4 mm thick) and fragments of the eggshells are abundant in many localities. DeVogel will study these fragments to try to pinpoint the time of extinction and to distinguish between climate change, direct overhunting, or anthropogenic ecosystem change as possible causal factors in the extinction. He will use radiocarbon dating and amino acid racemization to date samples. He will determine the isotopic composition of the dated samples in order to test hypotheses about potential changes in diet and moisture consumption and their association with the extinction event.This grant will provide an opportunity for a U.S. graduate student to conduct international research on a timely topic, human impacts on extinction. The project will also strengthen collaborative research ties between U.S. and Malagasy scientists and contribute to the training of a young Malagasy scientist.