RCN: Integrating Macroecological Pattern and Processes Across Scales (IMPPS)

生物体的体型大小反映了众多过程之间的复杂权衡。然而，在哺乳动物和其他分类群中反复观察到某些大小依赖关系。例如，哺乳动物体型的分布（即最小、最大和模态大小）在各大洲之间非常相似，尽管物种重叠很少。此外，在过去的5000万年里，它们的分布似乎是相似的。模式的出现是因为共同的祖先，因为生物体存在于相似的环境中，还是因为它们面临相似的设计或生活史限制？这个项目的总体目标是评估身体尺寸模式的普遍性，并调查一般的潜在过程。该项目汇集了一支国际知名的科学家团队，他们的专业知识涵盖了时间、空间和各个学科（如古生物学、海洋和陆地生态学、进化生物学、遗传学）。预期的结果包括开发一个关于哺乳动物生活史、体型、地理和系统发育相关性的综合全球数据库，以及开发新的分析和统计工具。该项目的智力价值源于对各种内在和外在因素的影响的调查，这些因素在不同的空间和时间尺度上产生“不变”的体型模式。由于最大的哺乳动物通常是极度濒危的（例如，非洲象、蓝鲸），而小型哺乳动物的研究相对较少，因此研究结果将为物种在极端体型下所面临的保护挑战提供重要的见解。更广泛的影响包括：1)开发在许多新兴领域工作的科学家急需的分析工具和方法；2)一个向公众和其他科学家免费提供的宏观生态数据库；3)发展一个包括国际合作者和少数民族和女性科学家在内的综合科学家网络；5)特别针对代表性不足的学生开展外展活动，包括开设宏观生态学课程。

The body size of an organism reflects complex tradeoffs among numerous processes. Nevertheless, certain size-dependent relationships are repeatedly observed for mammals and other taxa. For example, the distribution of mammalian body sizes (i.e., minimum, maximum, and modal size) is remarkably similar across continents, despite little speices overlap. Moreover, distributions appear to have been similar for the past 50 million years. Do patterns arise because of common ancestry, because organisms exist in similar environments, or because they face similar design or life history constraints? The broad goal of this project is to assess the generality of body size patterns and investigate general underlying processes. The project assembles an international and distinguished team of scientists with expertise spanning the full spectrum of time, space, and various disciplines (e.g., paleontology, marine and terrestrial ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics). Anticipated results include the development of a comprehensive global database on life history, body size, geography, and phylogenetic relatedness for mammals as well as the development of novel analytical and statistical tools.The intellectual merit of the project stems from investigation of the influence of various intrinsic and extrinsic factors in generating 'invariant' body size patterns across vastly different scales of space and time. Since the largest mammals are often critically endangered (e.g., African elephant, blue whale) and small mammals are comparatively understudied, results will provide important insights into conservation challenges posed by species at extremes of size. Broader impacts include: 1) development of much needed analytic tools and methodologies of use to scientists working in many emerging fields, 2) a macroecological database freely available to the public and other scientists, 3) development of an integrated network of scientists including international collaborators and both minority and female scientists, 4) training and mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, and 5) outreach efforts targeted especially to underrepresented students including development of a course on macroecology.