CAREER: Exploring the Neogene Plant Record of Global Vegetational and Climatic Changes in eastern North America - Research and Education Program

职业：探索北美东部全球植被和气候变化的新近纪植物记录 - 研究和教育计划

• 批准号: 0746105
• 负责人: Thomas Jones
• 金额: $ 42.17万
• 依托单位: East Tennessee State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-06-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0746105&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Exploring; Neogene; Plant; Record

CAREER: Exploring the Neogene Plant Record of Global Vegetational and Climatic Changes in eastern North America ? Research and Education Program Yusheng LIU (Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University. Email: [e-mail])The proposed project centers on the collection, identification, paleoclimatic reconstruction, paleoecologic analysis, and biogeographical implication of latest Miocene-earliest Pliocene (7 ? 4.5 million years old) plant fossils from the Gray Fossil Site in northeast Tennessee. A significant component of the research will involve collecting fossils including well-preserved seeds, fruits, leaves, wood, charcoal, pollen, and spores. The systematic, paleoecologic, taphonomic, and biogeographic implications of the plants will be assessed. Neogene climate has become an important research focus. Our understanding on the Neogene climate conditions in eastern North America, however, is limited. Quantitative paleoclimatic reconstruction in this region is largely unexplored. Because fossil plants can provide evidence of ancient climates and several techniques for quantitative climatic reconstruction using fossil plants have been improved, study of the Gray paleoflora will contribute toward understanding the nature and patterns of Neogene climate in southeastern North America. These aspects of the research will be addressed by employing leaf physiognomy analysis and coexistence approach.The impacts of this proposal are manifest in educational and outreach initiatives that bring the excitement of paleontology to college students, K-12 students and teachers, and the public. Following the discovery of the Gray site, East Tennessee State University (ETSU) committed to its development by the development of new courses, the construction of a Natural History Museum adjacent to the site, and with appropriate public outreach programs to local, regional, national, even international audiences. Of the two new courses, ?Paleobotany? will be a biology undergraduate upper-level course to be offered every spring, while ?Fossil Resources of China? is a field-oriented study-abroad summer course. Museum outreach include a hands-on activity for K-12 students, training on natural history for the public, and public talks/workshops for people ranging from administrators, K-12 teachers, to tourists. Research results will be incorporated into education activities, presented at professional meetings, and published in peer-reviewed journals. The research project will support the training of up to three graduate and five undergraduate students at ETSU within funding years. These students will participate in field work, data gathering, fossil processing in the lab, and scientific interpretation and will be encouraged to publish outcomes and participate in professional meetings. They will also involve in museum outreach and help with lab sections of ?Paleobotany? course. The two new courses will impact up to 45 students per year on campus and the museum education programs will affect even larger audiences from local, national, and international visitors.

职业：探索北美东部全球植被和气候变化的新近纪植物记录？研究和教育计划Yusin LIU（东田纳西州立大学生物科学系。该项目的主要内容是对中新世末-上新世初（7？[e-mail] 4.5在田纳西州东北部的格雷化石遗址发现的植物化石。研究的一个重要组成部分将涉及收集化石，包括保存完好的种子，水果，树叶，木材，木炭，花粉和孢子。植物的系统学、古生态学、埋藏学和地理学意义将被评估。新近纪气候已成为一个重要的研究热点。然而，我们对北美东部新近纪气候条件的了解是有限的。定量古气候重建在这一地区很大程度上是未经探索的。由于植物化石可以提供古代气候的证据，并且利用植物化石进行定量气候重建的几种技术已经得到改进，因此对Gray古植物群的研究将有助于了解北美东南部新近纪气候的性质和模式。这些方面的研究将通过采用叶地貌分析和共存approach. Impacts的影响，这一建议是体现在教育和推广活动，使古生物学的兴奋大学生，K-12学生和教师，以及公众。在发现格雷遗址之后，东田纳西州立大学（ETSU）致力于通过开发新课程，在遗址附近建造自然历史博物馆，并向当地，地区，国家甚至国际观众提供适当的公共宣传计划来发展它。在这两个新课程中，？古植物学？将是一门生物本科高级课程，每年春季开设，而？中国的化石资源是一门以实地为导向的出国留学夏季课程。博物馆外展活动包括为K-12学生举办的动手活动，为公众提供自然历史培训，以及为管理人员，K-12教师和游客举办的公开讲座/研讨会。研究成果将纳入教育活动，在专业会议上介绍，并在同行评审的期刊上发表。该研究项目将在资助年内支持ETSU最多三名研究生和五名本科生的培训。这些学生将参与实地工作，数据收集，实验室化石处理和科学解释，并将被鼓励发表成果和参加专业会议。他们还将参与博物馆外展，并帮助实验室部分？古植物学？当然了这两门新课程每年将影响校园内多达45名学生，博物馆教育计划将影响来自当地，国家和国际游客的更多观众。