Collaborative Research: A Chronology and Ecological Context of Primate and Mammalian Evolution

合作研究：灵长类动物和哺乳动物进化的年代学和生态背景

• 批准号: 1945736
• 负责人: Christopher Gilbert
• 金额: $ 22.53万
• 依托单位: CUNY Hunter College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-01 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1945736&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Chronology; Ecological; Context

Primate fossils discovered over the past few hundred years have vastly improved the understanding of primate evolution. However, major questions remain regarding the relationship between local geology and the precise identification of many fossil species. Recently, new fossil primates, including a new ape species, were discovered in Middle Miocene deposits, demonstrating the potential for significant additional finds. In this project, the investigators will reanalyze local geology, search for additional fossils, and reassess previously identified mammal species to develop more precise geological age estimates and advance knowledge about primate and mammalian evolution and environments. The project involves students from underrepresented groups from high school through graduate school, providing them with STEM research opportunities in evolutionary biology, geology, paleontology, and imaging. Furthermore, it will foster research collaborations and training opportunities. Outreach will be provided through various media formats and digitized fossils will be made available to researchers and educators to promote scientific inquiry as part of a virtual laboratory.This project combines paleontological and geological fieldwork with lab-based recovery efforts and isotopic analyses focused on Middle Miocene deposits. The investigators will: (1) recover additional fossils from newly discovered fossil localities; (2) establish a more accurate biochronological and stratigraphic assessment of these localities; and (3) reconstruct the paleoenvironment at these fossil localities to assess how the fauna and paleoecology of the region relate to other well-studied localities. Fossils will be collected through surface surveys and wet sieving of sediments for micromammals in a laboratory setting. A joint faunal identification effort with local faunal experts will allow for a revised, standardized taxonomy and an updated biochronological correlation directly with regional fauna for the first time. Geological survey efforts will concentrate on reinterpretation of the major sandstone stratigraphy with an effort to place the fossil-bearing localities in a firmer relative stratigraphic framework using novel methods in GIS. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions will be conducted via relative faunal abundances and stable isotope analyses on fossil mammal enamel. Finally, regional fossil collections will be digitized using 3D surface scanning and micro-CT imaging, and then made available online to facilitate faunal identifications across researchers and for future scientific study. This project is jointly supported by the Biological Anthropology and Sedimentary Geology & Paleobiology programs.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.

在过去的几百年里发现的灵长类化石极大地提高了对灵长类进化的理解。然而，关于当地地质和许多化石物种的精确鉴定之间的关系，仍然存在重大问题。最近，在中新世中期的沉积物中发现了新的灵长类化石，包括一种新的猿类物种，这表明有可能发现更多的重要化石。 在这个项目中，研究人员将重新分析当地地质，寻找更多的化石，并重新评估以前确定的哺乳动物物种，以开发更精确的地质年龄估计，并推进有关灵长类和哺乳动物进化和环境的知识。该项目涉及从高中到研究生院代表性不足的群体的学生，为他们提供进化生物学，地质学，古生物学和成像方面的STEM研究机会。 此外，它将促进研究合作和培训机会。将通过各种媒体形式进行宣传，并将数字化化石提供给研究人员和教育工作者，以促进作为虚拟实验室一部分的科学探究。该项目将古生物学和地质学实地考察与实验室恢复工作和同位素分析相结合，重点关注中中新世沉积物。研究者将：（1）从新发现的化石地点恢复更多的化石;（2）对这些地点进行更准确的生物年代学和地层学评估;（3）重建这些化石地点的古环境，以评估该地区的动物群和古生态与其他研究充分的地点的关系。化石将通过表面调查和在实验室环境中对沉积物进行湿筛来收集。与当地动物群专家联合开展的动物群鉴定工作将首次修订标准化分类法，并更新与区域动物群直接相关的生物年代学。地质调查工作将集中于重新解释主要的砂岩地层，努力利用地理信息系统中的新方法，将含化石地点置于一个相对稳固的地层框架中。通过对哺乳动物化石釉质的相对丰度和稳定同位素分析，进行古环境重建。最后，将使用3D表面扫描和微CT成像对区域化石收集进行数字化，然后在线提供，以促进研究人员之间的动物群识别和未来的科学研究。该项目由生物人类学和沉积地质学古生物学项目共同支持。该奖项反映了NSF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。

项目成果

A new genus of treeshrew and other micromammals from the middle Miocene hominoid locality of Ramnagar, Udhampur District, Jammu and Kashmir, India

来自印度查谟和克什米尔乌德汉普尔区拉姆讷格尔中新世人科动物所在地的树鼩和其他微型哺乳动物的新属

• DOI: 10.1017/jpa.2022.41
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Journal of Paleontology
• 影响因子: 1.4
• 作者: Sehgal, Ramesh Kumar;Singh, Abhishek Pratap;Gilbert, Christopher C.;Patel, Biren A.;Campisano, Christopher J.;Selig, Keegan R.;Patnaik, Rajeev;Singh, Ningthoujam Premjit
• 通讯作者: Singh, Ningthoujam Premjit

A virtual repository of Lower Siwalik Miocene fossils from Ramnagar (Udhampur District Jammu & Kashmir), India.

拉姆讷格尔（查谟乌德汉普尔区）下西瓦利克中新世化石的虚拟存储库

• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: American journal of physical anthropology
• 影响因子: 2.8
• 作者: Patel, B.A.

New Middle Miocene Ape (Primates: Hylobatidae) from Ramnagar, India fills major gaps in the hominoid fossil record

• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1655
• 发表时间: 2020-08
• 期刊: Proceedings of the Royal Society B
• 作者: C. C. Gilbert-C.;A. Ortiz;Kelsey D. Pugh;Christopher J. Campisano;B. Patel;N. P. Singh;J. Fleagle;R. Pat