Preparing the Oldest Proto-mysticete Whale, Seymour Island, Antarctica Peninsula

这一奖项将完成对世界上最古老的原始神秘鲸鱼头骨和部分骨骼的研究准备工作，该鲸鱼于1987/88年在南极彭尼苏拉岛西穆尔岛始新世晚期的La Meseta组中被发现。头盖骨几乎是完整的，缺少部分岩骨区，胸骨的几根脊椎和肋骨也被保存下来。因此，它是世界上已知的最古老的原始神秘主义者，这表明--以及来自许多其他群体的证据--南极水域在低纬度出现之前就产生了许多进化新奇事物。标本埋藏在致密、高度硬化的砂岩中，使其准备工作既繁琐又耗时。在新西兰邓德丁的奥塔加大学的主持下，在R.Ewan Fordyce博士的监督下，大约一半的工作已经完成。一旦准备和研究完成，标本将返回美国，在那里它将被收藏到史密森学会。正因为如此，并认识到标本的重要性，史密森学会古生物学部门将为该项目做出贡献。

This award will complete the preparation for study of a cranium and partial skeleton of the world's oldest proto-mysticete whale, recovered in 1987/88 from the late Eocene La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctic Pennisula. The cranium is virtually complete, lacking part of the petrosal region, and several vertebrae and ribs of the thoracic skeleton also are preserved. As such, it is the oldest known proto-mysticete in the world, suggesting - with evidence from many other groups - that Antarctic waters produced many evolutionary novelities in advance of their appearance in lower latitudes. The specimen is entombed in a dense, highly indurated sandstone, making its preparation tedious and time consuming. About one- half of the work has been accomplished, under the auspices of the University of Otaga, Dundedin, New Zealand, being supervised by Dr. R. Ewan Fordyce. Once preparation and study have been completed, the specimen will return to the United States where it will be curated into the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Because of this and in recognition of the significance of the specimen, the Smithsonian Institution Department of Paleobiology will contribute to the project.