COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Evolution & Phylogeny of Titanosauria

公众摘要巨大的、长脖子的、以植物为食的蜥脚类恐龙在陆地生态系统中繁荣了1.5亿年，期间发生了一段戏剧性的大陆分裂。泰坦巨龙类是最具多样性（40多个物种）、寿命最长、分布最广的蜥脚类动物，但其进化关系仍然知之甚少。这项研究将调查泰坦龙解剖学和骨骼显微结构的全球多样性，以解决泰坦龙进化和生活史以及发展的问题。我们收集的解剖数据将允许构建第一个得到充分支持的关于泰坦龙谱系的假设。骨骼显微结构数据将允许检查各种泰坦巨龙的生长速度和发育特征，包括巨大和侏儒形式。这些数据的综合将允许评估的身体大小的进化和生活史特征的泰坦巨龙类，这将是中央未来考试的进化泰坦巨龙喂养专业化，运动，和古生物地理。 该项目的全球性质迫使与国际同事和学生的合作。发表的论文和在线资源将允许国际研究人员访问我们的数据和结果。培训本科生和研究生是一个优先事项，资金将支持研究生和本科生的项目期间。PI致力于通过博物馆展览、公众友好网站和讲座向公众传播研究成果。

PUBLIC ABSTRACT Gigantic, long-necked, plant-eating sauropod dinosaurs flourished in terrestrial ecosystems for 150 million years during an episode of dramatic continental fragmentation. Titanosauria is the most diverse (40+ species), long-lived, and widely distributed sauropod lineage, but its evolutionary relationships remain poorly understood. This study will survey the global diversity of titanosaur anatomy and bone microstructure to resolve questions of titanosaur evolution and life history, and development. Anatomical data we collect will allow construction of the first well-supported hypothesis of titanosaur genealogy. Bone microstructural data will allow examination of growth rates and developmental traits across a diverse range of titanosaurs, which include gigantic and dwarf forms. Synthesis of these data will allow assessment of body size evolution and life history traits within Titanosauria, which will be central to future examinations of the evolution of titanosaur feeding specializations, locomotion, and paleobiogeography. The global nature of this project compels collaboration with international colleagues and students. Published papers and online resources will allow international researchers to access our data and results. Training undergraduate and graduate students is a priority, and funding will support graduate and undergraduate students for the duration of the project. The PIs are committed to public dissemination of research results via museum exhibits, public-friendly websites, and lectures.