Collaborative Research: Limits and Drivers of Metazoan Distributions in the Transantarctic Mountains

末次盛冰期的冰盖模型以及中新世以前的冰川事件表明，目前南极洲的低海拔无冰表面完全被冰覆盖。如果是这样的话，今天南极洲的陆生生物群将是每一次冰期极大期之后的再殖民事件的结果。然而，越来越多的证据表明，许多南极陆生生物群起源于古代，并以某种方式在这些冰川事件中幸存下来。横贯南极山脉过渡带（TAM-TRANZ）在了解当今南极陆地生物群的演变和生物地理历史方面起着关键作用，主要是因为它包含了许多内陆地区，这些地区可能在冰川高峰时期成为避难所。由于地处偏远，TAM-TRANZ尚未对动物生物多样性进行系统调查。尽管对该地区进行详尽的调查需要多学科、多年和多地区的努力，但本文的研究结合了生态学、进化论和地球物理学的专业知识，对生物群落的极端南部边界进行了探索性调查。该项目将研究多细胞生物定殖和维持功能生态系统的历史地球物理要求，以及未来实施更系统的生物地理研究的可行性和可取性。更广泛的影响包括研究生和本科生对重要子项目的所有权，这些子项目将提供研究、演讲和出版的机会。调查人员还将通过与项目人员所在的公立学区的K-12教师和管理人员的关系，为正在进行的公共教育工作做出贡献。最后，该项目利用了与南极洲新西兰相关科学家的机会合作。

Ice sheet models of the Last Glacial Maximum, and previous glaciation events in the Miocene, suggest that current low altitude, ice-free surfaces in Antarctica were completely covered with ice. If so, the terrestrial biota of Antarctica today would result from recolonization events after each glacial maximum. However, there is emerging evidence that much of the terrestrial Antarctic biota are of ancient origin and have somehow survived these glaciation events. The Transantarctic Mountains TRANsition Zone (TAM-TRANZ) plays a pivotal role in understanding the evolution and biogeographic history of today's Antarctic terrestrial biota, primarily because it contains numerous inland areas that could have served as refugia during glacial maxima. Due to its remote location, the TAM-TRANZ has not been systematically surveyed for animal biodiversity. Although an exhaustive survey of the region requires a multi-discipline, multi-year and multi-region effort, the research herein combines ecological, evolutionary and geophysical expertise to conduct an exploratory investigation of the extreme southern limits of biotic communities. The project will examine the historical geophysical requirements for the colonization and maintenance of functional ecosystems by multicellular organisms, and the feasibility and desirability to implement more systematic biogeographic studies in the future. Broader impacts include graduate and undergraduate student ownership of important subprojects that will provide research, presentation and publication opportunities. The investigators also will contribute to ongoing public education efforts through relationships with K-12 teachers and administrators in the public school districts where the project personnel reside. Finally, the project is leveraged by opportunistic collaboration with scientists associated with Antarctica New Zealand.