Vertebrate Paleontology of the Triassic to Jurassic Sedimentary Sequence in the Beardmore Glacier Area, Antarctica

该奖项由极地方案办公室南极地质和地球物理方案提供，支持一个调查南极洲中部横贯南极山脉三叠纪和侏罗纪恐龙及其他脊椎动物的项目。将于2003-04年夏季在Beardmore冰川地区开展一项寻找上三叠统至侏罗纪脊椎动物化石的野外项目。最初，野外工作将集中在汉森组，这是南极洲唯一的侏罗纪恐龙动物群。进一步挖掘汉森恐龙地点的山。柯克帕特里克将发生，其次是广泛的搜索其他暴露的汉森，法拉和上弗雷默组在比尔德莫尔地区。一个六人的实地小组将允许两个较小的小组在不同的地点独立工作。该小组将在位于Beardmore地区的一个小型直升机营地工作3-4周。除了收集新标本外，还将对每个脊椎动物地点的沉积环境进行解释。该项目的第二年和第三年将致力于脊椎动物的准备和研究。南极脊椎动物为研究高纬度中生代动物群的进化和地理学意义提供了一个独特的机会，该项目应导致这一领域知识的重大进展。

This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate Triassic and Jurassic dinosaurs and other vertebrates from the central Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. A field program to search for Upper Triassic to Jurassic age fossil vertebrates in the Beardmore Glacier region will be carried out in the 2003-04 austral summer. Initially, field efforts will concentrate on the Hanson Formation that has produced the only Jurassic dinosaur fauna from Antarctica. Further excavation of the Hanson dinosaur locality on Mt. Kirkpatrick will occur, followed by an extensive search of other exposures of the Hanson, Falla and Upper Fremouw Formations in the Beardmore area. A field party of six persons will allow two smaller groups to work independently at different sites. This group will operate for 3-4 weeks out of a small helicopter camp located in the Beardmore area. In addition to collecting new specimens an interpretation of the depositional settings for each of the vertebrate sites will be made. The second and third years of this project will be dedicated to preparation and study of the vertebrates. Antarctic vertebrates provide a unique opportunity to study the evolutionary and biogeographic significance of high latitude Mesozoic faunas and this project should result in significant advances in knowledge in this field.