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: 1325674
• 负责人: Gregory Wilson Mantilla
• 金额: $ 10.99万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 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 2018-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1325674&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：哺乳动物和鱿鱼的taphonomy，古生态学和鸡蛋的进化：蒙大拿州州立大学华盛顿大学的白垩纪生态系统与威尔逊晚期的异常视图恐龙。但是，这些小群体的化石记录不佳，阻碍了他们对早期进化的明确了解。在蒙大拿州的两种药物形成中，最近在闲置的恐龙区域进行了最新的发掘，这两组的化石在蒙大拿州的两种形成（Egg Mountain）中产生了丰富的，特殊保存且在很大程度上没有传播的化石。与北美相同的地质时代的任何其他地方相比，鸡蛋山已经贡献了相对完整的哺乳动物和蜥蜴的头骨和骨骼。我们的研究将研究这些新标本的防腐历史，进化史和生态。通过这种综合方法，我们将研究独特的鸡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配资源，以及在晚期（100-66万年前）哺乳动物和乳房中的系统发育和生态多样化的模式。通过纳入更完整的骨骼，这项研究将阐明我们对这些群体的进化历史的理解，描述了现代哺乳动物和蜥蜴的化石亲戚的生态学，并阐明了晚期白垩纪（100-66亿年前）土地生态系统的性质以及古代哺乳动物和lizarmals and Lizards and Lizarks and Lizards的分布和地理。综合方法以及特殊的化石组合将大大提高我们对土地生态系统结构和动力学的理解，并为对其他地质时期的较大化石样本大小的其他地区的研究提供信息。拟议的研究有望带来重大见解，将影响科学界和更广泛的公众。这些发现将通过发布结果，本科生和研究生的培训以及通过博物馆计划的公共宣传来传播。在PI中，有两名早期的职业科学家，两者都是人数不足的少数群体（一个拉丁裔和一名美国原住民），在研究生中，其中一名是第一代大学生和美国军事资深人士。