NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in New Zealand

这一行动资助怀俄明州大学的摩根丘吉尔在2013年夏天在新西兰达尼丁的奥塔哥大学进行地球科学研究项目。 该项目的名称是“南半球海豹和海狮的系统学和生物地理学。“主持科学家是伊万·福代斯博士。这项研究的重点是重新检查海狮Neophoca palatina化石。此前，这种海狮一直被认为与现存的高度濒危的澳大利亚海狮密切相关，这是一种目前仅限于西澳大利亚的物种。然而，没有对Neophoca palatina的头骨与其他毛皮海豹或海狮进行严格的比较。这项研究重新审视了这个物种的关系，严格比较它与其他南半球海狗和海狮使用系统发育和形态测量技术。这为了解Neophoca以前的分布以及南半球海狮的进化提供了重要的见解，并为今后研究海豹和食肉动物的进化提供了重要的数据。介绍各自所在地的科学，科学政策和科学基础设施;以及社会，文化和语言的方向。 这些活动符合NSF的目标，即在科学家，工程师和教育工作者的职业生涯早期进行国际合作教育，从而确保具有全球意识的美国科学工作者。 此外，奥塔哥大学的化石收藏保存了重要的早期鲸鱼化石，并将有助于改进怀俄明州大学地质博物馆目前正在举办的鲸鱼进化展览的设计。这项研究成果将发表在《古脊椎动物学杂志》、《动物学前沿》和《系统生物学》上。

This action funds Morgan Churchill of the University of Wyoming to conduct a research project in Geosciences during the summer of 2013 at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The project title is "The Systematics and Biogeography of Southern Hemisphere Fur Seals and Sea Lions." The host scientist is Dr. Ewan Fordyce.This research focuses on re-examining the fossil sea lion Neophoca palatina. Previously, this sea lion has been considered closely related to the living and highly endangered Australian sea lion, a species currently restricted to Western Australia. However, rigorous comparisons of the skull of Neophoca palatina were not made to other fur seals or sea lions. This study re-examines the relationships of this species by rigorously comparing it to other southern hemisphere fur seals and sea lions using phylogenetic and morphometric techniques. This provides important insights into the former distribution of Neophoca as well as the evolution of sea lions in the Southern Hemisphere and provides important data for future research on seal and carnivore evolutionBroader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, fossil collections at the University of Otago preserve important early whale fossils, and will help improve the design of an exhibit currently being put into place at the University of Wyoming Geology Museum on whale evolution. This research will result in publications to Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Frontiers in Zoology, and Systematic Biology.