Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs: The Evolution of Gigantism

我们在此提出网上研究股533第三个资助期的封面申请。第三，资助期限不是研究单位的规则，但如果一个单位在新的和令人兴奋的研究问题或机会出现时特别成功，就可以给予资助。在我们的案例中，这是第一个解释蜥脚类恐龙独特巨人症的连贯假说的发展，即533个巨人症假说。第三个资助期的主要目标是通过在个别项目中测试其组成部分假设来检验这一假设。通过这些测试将把这一假说提升为理论。从第三个资助期开始，并为未来协调的DFG或EU项目做准备，我们打算进一步将我们的假设发展成关于巨人症和陆地脊椎动物一般身体大小上限的理论。这是一个特别及时的投入，因为进化生态学可能向代谢生态学(MTE)的范式转移。因此，我们的研究将使古生物学更接近德国和其他国家的进化生物学的主流。申请由中央项目和总共11个项目组成。由于第2资助期培养高素质博士生，第3资助期期限为两年，我们主要申请博士后职位和差旅经费。

We present here the cover application for the 3rd funding period of the net-based Research Unit 533. Third funding periods are not the rule in research units but can be granted if a unit has been especially successful in that new and exciting research questions or opportunities have opened up. In our case, it is the development of the first coherent hypothesis explaining the unique gigantism in sauropod dinosaurs, the FOR 533 gigantism hypothesis. The primary aim of the 3rd funding period is to test this hypothesis by testing its component hypotheses in the individual projects. Passing these tests will elevate the hypothesis to a theory. Beginning in the third funding period and in preparation for a future coordinated DFG or EU project, we intend to further develop our hypothesis into a theory on gigantism and the upper limits of body size in terrestrial vertebrates in general. This is an especially timely endevor because of the possible paradigm shift in evolutionary ecology towards the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE). Our research thus will bring paleontology closer to the mainstream of evolutionary biology in Germany and elsewhere.The application consists of the central project and a total of 11 projects. Due to the training of highly qualified doctoral students in the 2nd funding period and the time limit of two years for the 3rd funding period, we mainly apply for postdoctoral positions and travel funds.