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

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This collaborative project 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. 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.