Anatomy and evolution of stem primates

干灵长类动物的解剖和进化

• 批准号: 283140-2010
• 负责人: Silcox, Mary
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=525620
• 关键词: Anatomy; evolution; stem; primates

Non-human primates are of special interest to us as our closest evolutionary kin. In recent years new discoveries of fossils from our earliest relatives, the stem primate group the Plesiadapiformes, has begun to shed light on the first phases of our evolution. This research seeks to continue these advancements through two inter-related initiatives. First, high resolution X-ray CT (catscan) data will be used to reconstruct endocasts (internal models of the skull which reflect brain anatomy) from fossil primates and from our close living and fossil relatives. This research will provide a better understanding of what is primitive for Primates in terms of the size and form of the brain, and to document changes in this critical organ during the first 15 million years of primate evolution. Second, new fossils will be studied and described from the plesiadapiform family Microsyopidae and its close relatives, allowing for a better understanding of the relationships of groups of fossil primates to one another, and of the primitive traits that characterized our ultimate ancestors. The ultimate goal of this research is to fill out the picture of our early evolution in terms of both relationships and patterns of adaptive change, and to help to characterize what makes our Order distinct from the rest of Mammalia.

非人类灵长类动物作为我们最接近的进化亲属对我们特别感兴趣。 近年来，我们最早的亲戚--灵长类近足目（Plesiadapiformes）的化石的新发现，已经开始阐明我们进化的第一阶段。 本研究旨在通过两个相互关联的举措继续这些进步。 首先，高分辨率X射线CT（catscan）数据将用于重建来自化石灵长类动物和我们的近亲和化石亲属的内模（反映大脑解剖结构的头骨内部模型）。 这项研究将更好地了解灵长类动物在大脑大小和形式方面的原始特征，并记录灵长类动物进化最初1500万年期间这个关键器官的变化。 第二，将研究和描述来自近足目Microsyopidae及其近亲的新化石，以便更好地了解化石灵长类动物群体之间的关系，以及我们最终祖先的原始特征。 这项研究的最终目标是在适应性变化的关系和模式方面填补我们早期进化的图景，并帮助描述是什么使我们的订单不同于其他哺乳动物。