COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Testing climate-controlled endemism in equatorial Pangea

合作研究：在赤道盘古大陆测试气候控制的特有性。Sidor，华盛顿大学（邮编-0617718）Neil J.塔博尔，南卫理公会大学（邮编-0617250）该奖项由NSF国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。 下二叠统最著名的是得克萨斯州中北部和周边各州的经典红层序列。 在经历了1-2百万年的间隔后，中、上二叠世的陆地记录在俄罗斯的西斯-乌拉尔地区和南非的卡鲁盆地再次出现。 尽管存在其他小层序，但这三部分记录（德克萨斯州、俄罗斯、南非）已成为解释古生代末陆地生态系统的基础超过150年。 然而，重要的是，它包括一个显著的地理偏差：得克萨斯州下二叠统沉积在大约古赤道，而中、上二叠统俄罗斯和南非的岩石代表高纬度盆地（分别为北纬40度和南纬60度）。 因此，解释植物和动物群的变化，随着时间的推移是混淆纬度和相关的气候影响。 PI研究将调查北方尼日尔的上二叠统地层，因为这些岩石独特地代表了盘古大陆中部古赤道南纬10度的条件。 有趣的是，初步研究表明，这些岩石中保存着一种特有的四足动物群，尽管它们位于俄罗斯和南部非洲之间。 这项为期三年的研究将：（1）建立西非第一个也是唯一的大陆二叠纪地层学，（2）使用古土壤形态和地球化学，以及植物化石来测试盘古大陆中部的气候模型，（3）用生物和年代地层学数据限制尼日尔二叠纪岩石的年龄，（4）继续发展我们对该地区植物和动物化石记录的理解。 此外，PI的工作将通过提供低纬度上二叠世生物群的数据来填补陆地化石记录中的一个长期空缺。 他们的研究还将通过为目前没有此类数据的地区提供古温度和降水的经验估计来限制未来的气候模型。 因此，尼日尔的二叠纪岩石在回答四足动物地理学问题和验证或反驳基于计算机的古气候模型方面具有独特的能力。

Collaborative Research: Testing climate-controlled endemism in equatorial PangeaChristian A. Sidor, University of Washington (EAR-0617718)Neil J. Tabor, Southern Methodist University (EAR-0617250)This award is co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.ABSTRACTPaleontologists currently understand Permian terrestrial ecosystems from three main regions. The Lower Permian is best known from the classic red-bed sequence of north-central Texas and surrounding states. After a 1-2 million year gap, the Middle and Upper Permian terrestrial record picks up again in the Cis-Ural region of Russia and the Karoo Basin of South Africa. Although other minor sequences exist, this three part record (Texas, Russia, South Africa) has been the basis for the interpretation of end-Paleozoic terrestrial ecosystems for over 150 years. Importantly, however, it includes a significant geographic bias: the Texas Lower Permian was deposited at roughly the paleoequator, whereas Middle and Upper Permian Russian and South African rocks represent high-latitude basins (40 degreesN and 60 degreesS, respectively). As a consequence, interpretations of floral and faunal changes through time are confounded by latitudinal and related climatic effects. PIs research will investigate the Upper Permian strata of northern Niger because these rocks uniquely represent conditions at 10 degrees S of the paleoequator in central Pangea. Intriguingly, preliminary work has shown that an endemic tetrapod fauna is preserved in these rocks, despite being positioned halfway between those of Russia and southern Africa. This three-year study will: (1) establish the first and only continental Permian stratigraphy for West Africa, (2) use paleosol morphology and geochemistry, as well as plant fossils to test climate models for central Pangea, (3) constrain the age of the Permian rocks of Niger with bio- and chronostratigraphic data, and (4) continue to develop our understanding of this region's plant and animal fossil record. Moreover, PIs work will fill a longstanding hole in the terrestrial fossil record by providing data on a low-latitude, Upper Permian biota. Their research will also constrain future climate models by providing empirical estimates of paleotemperature and precipitation for a region where no such data currently exist. The Permian rocks of Niger are thus unique in their ability to answer questions of tetrapod biogeography and validate or refute computer-based models of paleoclimate.