RAPID: The Snowmastodon Project

2010年10月14日，科罗拉多州斯诺玛斯村附近的zeigler水库发现了保存异常完好的植物和大型哺乳动物化石，这为研究保存完好的高海拔冰河时代生态系统序列提供了一个短暂的机会。在18天内（2010年10月29日至11月17日），丹佛自然科学博物馆（DMNS）挖掘了600多块骨头，其中包括8-10头美洲乳齿象、4头哥伦比亚猛犸象、4头冰河时代野牛、2头鹿、1头杰斐逊？这里有地懒（科罗拉多州的第一个记录，也是北美海拔最高的记录），多种虎蝾螈，以及保存异常完好的植物、昆虫和水生无脊椎动物化石。总体而言，该遗址代表了落基山脉高海拔地区第一个相对完整的湖相更新世生态系统序列。一些关键的研究问题和机会出现了：1)这个遗址告诉我们关于冰河时期落基山脉高海拔更新世气候和生物群的什么？2)遗址的年代学是什么？3)湖泊填湖的详细历史是什么？4)该遗址的生活史是什么？猛犸象和乳齿象？5)考虑到大量的标本，我们能否对野牛、猛犸象和乳齿象进行meta种群分析？6)落基山脉的气候和生物记录与当今的气候变化问题有什么关系？为了回答这些首要问题和其他更具体的问题，我们组织了一个由来自15个机构的32名科学家组成的团队，分为6个小组，对齐格勒水库化石湖进行了全面的多学科研究。这些分类是：1)区域和地方地质；2)地层学;3)地质年代学;4)脊椎动物化石；5)化石植物；还有无脊椎动物化石。利用这种方法，我们正在设计一个计划：1)在2011年5 - 6月，在7 - 9月计划的大坝建设淹没之前，从坝址挖掘剩余的化石资源；2)实施全面的科研计划，对该遗址进行研究和了解；3)保存和保护遗址化石；4)利用这一发现的成果为地方、区域、国家和国际受众提供世界一流的教育机会。DMNS正在为2011年的挖掘计划制定一个全面的媒体和纪录片计划，DMNS的教育工作者将在2011年春季返回咆哮叉谷，为所有咆哮叉谷学校的K-12学生提供免费教育计划，包括校内集会计划、远程学习计划、教师专业发展计划和www.dmns.org上提供的早期儿童教育资源。这笔赠款将部分资助2011年活动的实地考察部分。

The recent discovery on Oct. 14, 2010, of exceptionally preserved plant and large mammal fossils atZeigler Reservoir near Snowmass Village, Colorado provides a brief opportunity to study an amazinglywell-preserved, sequence of high-elevation Ice Age ecosystems. In 18 days (Oct. 29 to Nov. 17, 2010),the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) excavated more than 600 bones comprising parts of 8-10 American mastodons, 4 Columbian mammoths, 4 Ice Age bison, 2 deer, 1 Jefferson?s ground sloth(the first record in Colorado and the highest altitude record in North America), multiple Tigersalamanders, and exceptionally preserved plant, insect and aquatic invertebrate fossils. As a whole, thesite represents the first relatively complete sequence of lacustrine Pleistocene ecosystems at highelevation in the Rocky Mountains. A number of key research questions and opportunities have emerged:1) What does this site tell us about high elevation Pleistocene climate and biota in the Ice Age Rockies?2) What is the geochronology of the site? 3) What is the detailed history of lake in-filling? 4) What werethe life histories of the site?s mammoths and mastodons? 5) Given the large number of specimens, can weundertake metapopulation analyses of the bison, mammoth, and mastodon? And 6) what is the relevanceof this Rocky Mountain climate and biotic record to present-day issues of climate change?To answer these over-arching questions and other more specific questions, we have assembled a team of32 scientists from 15 institutions organized into six groups to undertake a comprehensive multidisciplinarystudy of the Ziegler Reservoir fossil lake. These groups are: 1) regional and local geology; 2)stratigraphy; 3) geochronology; 4) fossil vertebrates; 5) fossil plants; and 6) fossil invertebrates. Usingthis approach, we are designing a plan to: 1) excavate the remaining fossil resources from the dam site inMay-June, 2011, before the site is buried by planned dam construction in July-September; 2) implement acomprehensive scientific research plan to study and understand this site; 3) preserve and conserve thefossils from the site; and 4) to use the results of this discovery provide world-class educationalopportunities to local, regional, national, and international audiences. DMNS is planning ancomprehensive media and documentary plan for the 2011 excavation and DMNS educators will return tothe Roaring Fork Valley in Spring 2011 to provide free education programs for K-12 students in all of theRoaring Fork Valley schools, including in-school assembly programs, distance learning programs, teacherprofessional development programs, and early childhood education resources available onwww.dmns.org. This grant will partially fund the fieldwork portion of 2011 activities.