COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Taphonomy, paleoecology, and evolution of mammals and squamates from Egg Mountain: An exceptional view of a Late Cretaceous ecosystem

合作研究：埋藏学、古生态学以及蛋山哺乳动物和有鳞动物的进化：白垩纪晚期生态系统的独特视角

• 批准号: 1325365
• 负责人: David Varricchio
• 金额: $ 7.45万
• 依托单位: Montana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-10-01 至 2017-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1325365&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; Taphonomy; paleoecology; evolution

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Taphonomy, paleoecology, and evolution of mammals and squamates from Egg Mountain: An exceptional view of a Late Cretaceous ecosystemGregory Wilson, University of WashingtonDavid Varricchio, Montana State UniversityJack Conrad, New York Institute of TechnologyModern mammals and lizards had their origins in the Cretaceous (145-66 million years ago) geological period within the shadow of the dinosaurs. However, the poor fossil record of these small-bodied groups has hindered a clear understanding of their early evolution. Recent excavation at a long idle dinosaur locality in the Two Medicine Formation of Montana (Egg Mountain) has produced abundant, exceptionally well-preserved and largely un-transported fossils of both groups. Already, Egg Mountain has contributed more relatively complete skulls and skeletons of mammals and lizards than any other locality of the same geologic age in North America. Our research will investigate the preservational history, the evolutionary history, and the ecologies of these new specimens. Through this integrative approach, we will investigate the ecological significance of the unique Egg Mountain assemblage, how mammals and lizards partitioned resources in these ancient ecosystems and the pattern of phylogenetic and ecologic diversification within Late Cretaceous (100-66 million years ago) mammals and lizards. With the incorporation of more complete skeletons, this research will clarify our understanding of the evolutionary history of these groups, characterize the ecology of fossil relatives of modern mammals and lizards, and shed light on the nature of Late Cretaceous(100-66 million years ago) land-based ecosystems and the diversification and geographic distribution of ancient mammals and lizards. The integrated approach together with an exceptional fossil assemblage will greatly increase our understanding of land based ecosystem structure and dynamics and inform studies on other localities with large fossil sample sizes of more poorly preserved remains of the same geologic time period. The proposed research promises to lead to major insights that will impact the scientific community and the broader public. These findings will be disseminated via publication of results, training for undergraduates and graduate students, and public outreach through museum programs. Among the PIs, there are two early career scientists, both of whom are underrepresented minorities (one Latino and one Native American), and among the graduate students, one is a first-generation college student and U.S. military veteran.

合作研究：蛋山哺乳动物和有鳞动物的分类、古生态学和进化：晚白垩世生态系统的特殊视角格雷戈里·威尔逊，华盛顿大学大卫·瓦里奇奥，蒙大拿州立大学杰克·康拉德，纽约理工大学现代哺乳动物和蜥蜴起源于白垩纪(1.45亿-6600万年前)地质期，恐龙的阴影下。然而，这些小体种群糟糕的化石记录阻碍了人们对它们早期进化的清晰理解。最近在蒙大拿州的两个梅迪奇地层(蛋山)一个长期闲置的恐龙遗址挖掘出了丰富的、保存异常完好的、基本上未被运输的这两个群体的化石。蛋山已经贡献了比北美任何其他相同地质时代的地方更多的哺乳动物和蜥蜴的相对完整的头骨和骨骼。我们的研究将调查这些新标本的保存史、进化史和生态学。通过这种综合的方法，我们将研究独特的蛋山组合的生态意义，哺乳动物和蜥蜴如何在这些古老的生态系统中分割资源，以及晚白垩世(1亿-6600万年前)哺乳动物和蜥蜴的系统发育和生态多样性模式。随着更完整的骨骼的加入，这项研究将澄清我们对这些类群的进化史的理解，表征现代哺乳动物和蜥蜴的化石近缘的生态学，并揭示晚白垩世(1亿-6600万年前)陆地生态系统的性质以及古代哺乳动物和蜥蜴的多样性和地理分布。这种综合的方法和特殊的化石组合将极大地增加我们对陆地生态系统结构和动态的了解，并为其他拥有大量化石样本量的同一地质时期保存较差遗迹的其他地区的研究提供参考。这项拟议的研究有望带来影响科学界和更广泛公众的重大见解。这些发现将通过发布结果、对本科生和研究生的培训以及通过博物馆项目进行公共宣传来传播。在PI中，有两名早期职业科学家，他们都是代表性不足的少数族裔(一名拉丁裔和一名美洲原住民)，而在研究生中，一名是第一代大学生和美国退伍军人。