New Approaches and Rapid Assessment of Key Avian Fossils from the Cretaceous of Antarctica

这项小额探索性研究基金从南极化石的角度研究鸟类的进化。这些化石很少被研究，最近被认为是鸟类与恐龙共存并在白垩纪/第三纪灭绝中幸存下来的确凿证据。它们还通过为分子差异（DNA变化）的测年提供新的校准点，为鸟类多样化和辐射提供了关键见解，这是目前更广泛的古生物学界激烈研究的主题。这个奖项汇集了来自美国和阿根廷的古生物学家，以及他们在过去二十年的南极野外工作中收集的所有标本。将采用新的方法，包括计算机断层扫描（CT） x射线扫描和稀土元素分析。结果将解决以下问题：1)这种鸟类有多多样化？2)有哪些鸟类谱系？冈瓦纳是否是鸟类起源和辐射的中心？就更广泛的影响而言，该项目将通过制作铸件和阿根廷和美国储存库中所有材料的数字档案，改善对这一独特化石记录的访问。该奖项还促进了美国和阿根廷之间的国际合作，在美国建立了新的机构联系，并为美国学生提供了培训机会。该奖项由极地项目办公室和国际科学与工程办公室联合支持。

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research studies bird evolution from the perspective of Antarctic fossils. Little studied, these fossils were recently recognized as definitive evidence that birds coexisted with dinosaurs and survived the Cretaceous/Tertiary extinction. They also offer key insights into bird diversification and radiation by contributing new calibration points for the dating of molecular divergences--changes in DNA--that are the currently the subject of intense study by the broader paleobiology community. This award brings paleontologists from the US and Argentina together with all of their specimens collected over the last twenty years of Antarctic fieldwork. New methodologies will be brought to bear, including computed tomography (CT) X-ray scans and rare earth element analyses. The outcomes will address questions such as: 1) How diverse is this avifauna? 2) What avian lineages are represented? and 3) Was Gondwana a center for avian origination and radiation?In terms of broader impacts, this project will improve access to this unique fossil record by producing casts and a digital archive of all materials held in the Argentine and US repositories. The award also fosters international collaboration between the US and Argentina, and involves new institutional connections in the US, and supports training opportunities for a US student. This award is jointly supported by the Office of Polar Programs and the Office of International Science and Engineering.