Systematic Sampling of the Gray Fossil Site Vertebrates: A Unique Mio-Pliocene Fauna from the Southern Appalachians

灰色化石遗址脊椎动物的系统采样：阿巴拉契亚南部独特的中新世动物群

• 批准号: 0958985
• 负责人: Steven Wallace
• 金额: $ 32.43万
• 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: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-05-01 至 2016-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0958985&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Systematic; Sampling; Gray; Fossil; Site

Systematic Sampling of the Gray Fossil Site Vertebrates: A Unique Mio-Pliocene Fauna from the Southern AppalachiansSteven C. Wallace and Blaine Schubert, East Tennesse State UniversityNorth America experienced dramatic environmental and biotic shifts during the late Miocene. However, the fossil record of these changes comes almost exclusively from Florida - west to the Gulf Coast - then north through the Great Plains - and eventually to the Northwest, leaving most of eastern North America unrepresented. The late Miocene-early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of eastern Tennessee provides a unique and significant opportunity to further our understanding of the evolution of the North American biota (specifically the southern Appalachians) during this important period. Scientific questions to be addressed include: was there a connection between the forested ecosystems of eastern Asia and those of eastern North America (as indicated by the Asian components of the GFS biota), until at least the late Miocene? If so, how long was this connection present, and what were the dynamics of its breakup? Did the Appalachians act as a forested refugium while the remainder of North America underwent large-scale ecological transition? Moreover, because of its isolation, will the GFS preserve species of mammals which are disjunct from their closest Eurasian relatives (as observed in North American and Asian plant communities)? Lastly, what taphonomic processes resulted in such a dramatic accumulation of fossils in the first place? This project will undertake systematic excavations of the GFS which will undoubtedly significantly augment the fossil content, species diversity and abundance. The new on site Natural History Museum, supported both by state and local governments is a superb facility for growing the fossil collections, assuring their professional preparation, study and publication. There has been and will continue to be extensive student training and education on material collected at the Gray Fossil Site.

灰色化石遗址脊椎动物的系统取样：阿巴拉契亚山脉南部一个独特的中新世-上新世动物群。东田纳西州立大学的华莱士和布莱恩·舒伯特北美在中新世晚期经历了巨大的环境和生物转变。 然而，这些变化的化石记录几乎完全来自佛罗里达--向西到墨西哥湾沿岸--然后向北穿过大平原--最终到达西北部，使北美东部的大部分地区没有代表。晚中新世-上新世早期灰色化石网站（GFS）的田纳西州东部提供了一个独特的和重要的机会，以进一步了解北美生物群（特别是南部阿巴拉契亚山脉）在这一重要时期的演变。需要解决的科学问题包括：至少在中新世晚期之前，东亚森林生态系统与北美东部森林生态系统之间是否存在联系（如全球森林系统生物群的亚洲组成部分所示）？如果是的话，这种联系存在了多久，它的分裂是什么动力？阿巴拉契亚山脉是否在北美其他地区经历大规模生态转型的时候充当了森林避难所的角色？此外，由于与世隔绝，政府飞行服务队会否保存一些与欧亚大陆最近的近亲（如北美洲和亚洲的植物群落）分离的哺乳动物物种？最后，究竟是什么埋藏过程导致了如此巨大的化石堆积？ 该项目将有系统地挖掘GFS，这无疑将大大增加化石含量，物种多样性和丰富度。新的自然历史博物馆，由州和地方政府支持，是一个极好的设施，用于增加化石收藏，确保他们的专业准备，研究和出版。 已经并将继续就灰色化石遗址收集的材料对学生进行广泛的培训和教育。