CNIC COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: US-Ethiopia planning visit for the investigation of non-marine Mesozoic ecosystems from the Northwestern Plateau, Ethiopia

该项目是三项提议的合作努力的一部分，将支持对埃塞俄比亚的一次规划访问，以确定埃塞俄比亚西北高原的早期中生代非海洋化石是否有助于填补在泛古大陆解体时关于哺乳动物进化和分布的关键知识空白。该项目将专门研究上三叠统-下侏罗统地层，寻求发现脊椎动物化石，这些化石将为脊椎动物在古代非洲以及欧亚和美洲的进化、多样化和扩散提供更好的信息。总体努力将支持四名教职员工和四名研究生前往埃塞俄比亚。除了他们在古生物学和地球科学方面的优秀资历和多样化的专业知识外，该团队还包括两名职业生涯早期的调查人员，三名未被充分代表的少数民族和一名女性。该小组将与亚的斯亚贝巴大学在埃塞俄比亚的同行密切合作。为期一个月的计划访问将包括美国团队和他们在亚的斯亚贝巴的埃塞俄比亚合作者之间的几天研讨会和信息交流，三周的合作实地工作，在两个地点进行深入侦察，然后几天计划和启动样品处理，并开始起草更大的后续提案。这个特定的项目为其中一名PI伊尔米斯博士和一名研究生提供旅行支持。非洲中生代非海洋脊椎动物化石记录仍然是一块虚拟的？白板？然而，与世界其他地区相比，该地区的化石数据对于了解陆地群落对大约1亿年前超级大陆泛古大陆的解体做出了怎样的反应至关重要。与北美、南美洲和亚洲类似年代的化石产层相比，这一地区的化石仍然相对较少。埃塞俄比亚具有战略地位，拥有广泛的中生代沉积岩建造，这些化石可能被证明对提高对许多主要非海洋脊椎动物类群的古生物地理和演化的了解非常有价值，如恐龙、哺乳动物、蜥蜴、蛇和两栖动物。研究小组在埃塞俄比亚确定了两个目标采样点，在那里早中生代地层暴露得很好，可能被有效勘探并收集初步样品：青尼罗河(阿贝)峡谷上游侏罗世Mugher泥岩和提格雷省早侏罗世Adigrat组。这次美国和埃塞俄比亚的合作规划访问提供了一个宝贵的机会，可以开始多学科的努力，这是扩大非洲中生代化石记录所必需的。这一拟议项目的化石和科学对于检验关于早中生代生物群、泛古大陆解体后的古生物地理以及几个假设起源于非洲的现代脊椎动物群体的进化和扩散的假说至关重要。这一努力将为美国队提供一个宝贵的职业发展机会，特别是两名职业生涯早期的教师和四名研究生。这次计划访问还将为大约8名本科生提供机会，获得新的研究技能和培训，在化石制备和分析方面，以及在博物馆管理、教育和公共宣传方面的经验。

This project, part of a three proposal collaborative, effort, will support a planning visit to Ethiopia to determine if early Mesozoic non-marine fossils from the Northwestern Plateau of Ethiopia can help fill a critical knowledge gap regarding mammalian evolution and distribution at the time of the breakup of the supercontinent of Pangaea. The project will look specifically at Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic formations, seeking to find vertebrate fossils that will provide better information on the evolution, diversification and dispersal of vertebrates across ancient Africa and into Eurasia and the Americas. The overall effort will support travel to Ethiopia by four faculty members and four graduate students. In addition to their excellent qualifications and diverse expertise in paleontology and geosciences, the team includes two early career investigators, three underrepresented ethnic minorities and a woman. The team will work closely with counterparts in Ethiopia from the University of Addis Ababa. The month-long planning visit will include several days for seminars and information exchange between the US team and their Ethiopian collaborators in Addis Ababa, three weeks of collaborative field work to conduct in depth reconnaissance at two sites, then several days to plan and initiate sample processing and begin writing a larger follow-on proposal. This specific project provides travel support to one of the PI's, Dr. Irmis, and a graduate student. The Mesozoic non-marine vertebrate fossil record of Africa remains a virtual ?blank slate? in comparison to other regions of the world; however, fossil data from this region is critical to understanding how terrestrial communities responded to the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea about 100 million years ago. This part of the world remains relatively un-sampled compared to fossil-bearing horizons of similar age in North and South America and Asia. Ethiopia is strategically positioned with extensive Mesozoic sedimentary rock formations and these fossils may prove very valuable to improving understanding of the paleobiogeography and evolution of many major non-marine vertebrate groups, such as dinosaurs, mammals, lizards, snakes and amphibians.The team has identified two target sampling sites in Ethiopia where early Mesozoic formations are well exposed and may be effectively explored and preliminary samples collected: the Late Jurassic Mugher Mudstone of the upper Blue Nile (Abay) Gorge, and the Early Jurassic Adigrat Formation of the Tigray Province. This collaborative US-Ethiopia planning visit provides a valuable opportunity to begin the multidisciplinary effort that is required to expand the Mesozoic fossil record from Africa. The fossils and science from this proposed project are essential to testing hypotheses regarding early Mesozoic biotas, paleobiogeography following the breakup of Pangaea, and the evolution and dispersal of several modern vertebrate groups hypothesized to originate in Africa. The effort will provide a valuable professional development opportunity for the US team, especially the two early career faculty and the four graduate students. This planning visit will also provide an opportunity for approximately eight undergraduates to gain new research skills and training, in fossil preparation and analysis, as well as experience in museum curation, education and public outreach.