Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs: The Evolution of Gigantism

我们在此提交533研究组第三个资助期的申请。第三，资助期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方面特别成功，则可以获得资助。在我们的案例中，这是第一个解释蜥脚类恐龙独特的非对称性的连贯假设的发展，即FOR 533非对称性假设。第三个供资期的主要目的是通过在各个项目中检验这一假设的组成部分来检验这一假设。通过这些测试将把假设提升为理论。从第三个资助期开始，并为未来的协调DFG或欧盟项目做准备，我们打算进一步发展我们的假设，使之成为一个理论，关于一般陆生脊椎动物的身体大小的上限。这是一个特别及时的endevor，因为可能的范式转移，在进化生态学的生态代谢理论（MTE）。因此，我们的研究将使古生物学更接近德国和其他地方的进化生物学主流。申请包括中心项目和总共11个项目。由于第二资助期培养高素质的博士研究生，第三资助期有两年的时间限制，我们主要申请博士后职位和差旅费。

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.