Collaborative Research: SG: Early evolution of the modern North American freshwater fish fauna: New Late Cretaceous sturgeons, paddlefishes, bowfins, and teleosts from North Dakota

合作研究：SG：现代北美淡水鱼类区系的早期演化：来自北达科他州的新晚白垩世鲟鱼、白鲟、弓鳍鱼和硬骨鱼

• 批准号: 1754483
• 负责人: Lance Grande
• 金额: $ 10.31万
• 依托单位: Field Museum of Natural History
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-05-01 至 2020-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1754483&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; SG; Early; evolution

The Late Cretaceous, from 100 million to 65 million years ago, was a time of great change for the freshwater fishes of North America. Many older groups of fishes were going extinct and being replaced by modern groups. But where did the modern groups come from, and how and why did they replace the older groups? These questions, among others, are unanswered because the fossil record of fishes from this time period is extremely poor. This project analyzes newly discovered, complete fossilized skeletons of freshwater fish from a critical time period (72-66 million years ago). These fossils are extraordinarily well-preserved, providing a rare glimpse of complete skeletons. This project will fill a critical gap in understanding the origin and evolution of modern freshwater fish. In addition to the scientific merit of this project, there are several broader impacts. First, the fossils to be described are deposited in publicly accessible natural history collections, thereby ensuring that they are available in perpetuity to the scientific community. Second, student training programs developed around the preparation and analysis of the fossils provides valuable research and training for budding scientists. Third, results from this study will be published in scientific articles and presented at professional meetings and seminars for public audiences. And finally, by using the resources available at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, the project will increase public understanding of science. All specimens will be prepared in a lab where active preparation and study of the specimens can be observed by the more than 1.2 million annual visitors to the Field Museum, including many K-12 student groups and teachers, and a temporary exhibit of this exquisitely preserved fossil fish fauna will add an important component to current exhibits at the Field Museum. Although the modern freshwater fish fauna of North America has been intensively studied, its origin, biogeography, and evolutionary history are still poorly understood, due in part to a lack of whole-body fossils from Cretaceous freshwater deposits, particularly those containing articulated skeletons. This study uses exceptionally well-preserved fossil fish from a recently discovered lagerstatten in the Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota, to illuminate the transition between the early Mesozoic (consisting of extinct orders and families) and the modern freshwater fauna. Recently discovered blocks containing the articulated, complete skeletons of many freshwater fish have been acquired by the Field Museum for preparation and analysis. All fossils will be described and illustrated using a combination of detailed photographic documentation of all aspects of the anatomy of the species with matched line drawings clearly showing the interpretation of the morphology. These data will form the basis of original morphological descriptions, character conceptualization, and phylogenetic and comparative analyses of key fish lineages present in the blocks, including the Acipenseridae, Polyodontidae, Amiidae, Lepisosteidae, and possibly Teleostei.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

白垩纪晚期，也就是距今1亿到6500万年前，是北美淡水鱼发生巨大变化的时期。许多古老的鱼群正在灭绝，并被现代鱼群所取代。但是现代族群从何而来？他们又是如何以及为什么取代了旧族群？这些问题都没有答案，因为这一时期鱼类的化石记录极其贫乏。该项目分析了一个关键时期（7200万至6600万年前）新发现的完整淡水鱼骨骼化石。这些化石保存得非常完好，提供了难得的完整骨架一瞥。这个项目将填补理解现代淡水鱼的起源和进化的关键空白。除了这个项目的科学价值外，还有几个更广泛的影响。首先，待描述的化石存放在公众可访问的自然历史收藏中，从而确保它们永远可供科学界使用。其次，围绕化石的准备和分析制定的学生培训计划为崭露头角的科学家提供了有价值的研究和培训。第三，这项研究的结果将发表在科学文章中，并在专业会议和研讨会上向公众展示。最后，通过利用芝加哥菲尔德自然历史博物馆的资源，该项目将增加公众对科学的理解。所有的标本都将在一个实验室里准备，每年有120多万游客到菲尔德博物馆参观，其中包括许多K-12学生团体和教师，他们可以在实验室里观察标本的积极准备和研究。这个保存完好的鱼类化石动物群的临时展览将为菲尔德博物馆的现有展览增加一个重要的组成部分。尽管北美的现代淡水鱼动物群已经被深入研究，但由于缺乏白垩纪淡水沉积物的全身化石，特别是那些含有关节骨骼的化石，人们对其起源、生物地理和进化历史仍然知之甚少。这项研究使用了最近在北达科他州马斯特里赫特地狱溪地层发现的一种保存异常完好的鱼类化石，来阐明中生代早期（由灭绝的目和科组成）和现代淡水动物群之间的过渡。菲尔德博物馆最近发现了包含许多淡水鱼的完整骨架的块，用于准备和分析。所有的化石都将被描述和说明，使用详细的照片文件的所有方面的物种解剖与匹配的线条图清楚地显示了形态学的解释。这些数据将构成原始形态描述、特征概念化、系统发育和比较分析的基础，这些主要鱼类谱系包括蛇尾鱼科、多齿鱼科、蛇尾鱼科、Lepisosteidae，可能还有远骨鱼。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。