COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EVOLUTION OF THE HADROSAURID DENTITION--HISTOLOGICAL AND BIOMECHANICAL INSIGHTS INTO ADVANCED REPTILIAN HERBIVORY

摘要合作研究：鸭嘴龙齿系的演化--向高级爬行类草食性动物的组织学和生物力学研究Erickson和Mark A.在它们3亿多年的历史中，草食性爬行动物很少获得允许以有蹄类哺乳动物（例如马和牛）的方式咀嚼的牙齿。唯一的例外是鸭嘴龙（又名鸭嘴龙），它是白垩纪晚期的主要食草动物。在我们的研究中，我们正在研究：1）鸭嘴龙牙齿变得更加复杂的步骤，2）它们的牙齿结构如何随着每一步而变化，3）这种变化如何允许处理不同的食物类型，最后4）牙齿的变化如何使它们广泛的全球辐射成为可能。我们专门记录了整个群体中牙齿的形状和微观结构，包括一些最早和最新的代表。从样本中发现的生长线我们可以确定每只恐龙有多长？的牙齿形成，磨损，并被替换。然后，我们利用这些数据创建齿系的计算机工程模型，并利用它们来解释每个物种的咀嚼表面是如何形成的。最终，我们将把这些数据与饮食信息和地理辐射联系起来，以全面了解鸭嘴龙科在恐龙时代是如何成为主要食草动物的。研究结果将作为理解复杂牙齿结构起源的模型，并将引起众多科学学科（例如脊椎动物古生物学，古生物学，进化生物学，人类学，综合生物学，比较生理学，生态学，爬虫学和哺乳动物学）研究人员的兴趣。这项研究的其他好处包括为学生和教师提供教育机会。 研究的理由和描述以及研究结果将与研究图像档案一起沿着在互联网上公布，供公众访问。 通过美国自然历史博物馆（AMNH）教育部？的暑期实习计划，高中生有机会动手参与该项目。 由于这笔赠款，还将进行教师培训（高中和初中教师）。 教师专业发展研讨会，重点是恐龙进化喂养生态学，将在Gottesman中心在AMNH举行。 此外，这项研究将与教师谁参加动手组织学活动期间，在佛罗里达州立大学的特殊继续教育计划共享。

AbstractCOLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EVOLUTION OF THE HADROSAURID DENTITION--HISTOLOGICAL AND BIOMECHANICAL INSIGHTS INTO ADVANCED REPTILIAN HERBIVORYGregory M. Erickson and Mark A. NorellThroughout their 300+ million year history, herbivorous reptiles rarely acquired teeth that allowed for chewing in the manner of ungulate mammals (e.g. horses and cows). The lone exception was the duck-billed dinosaurs (aka hadrosaurids), the dominant herbivores of the Late Cretaceous. In our research we are studying: 1) the steps by which hadrosaur teeth became more complex, 2) how the mechanics of their dentition changed with each step, 3) how such changes allowed for the processing of different food types, and finally 4) how their extensive worldwide radiations were made possible by dental changes. We are specifically documenting the shape and microstructure of the teeth throughout the group, including some of the earliest and latest representatives. From growth lines found in the samples we are determining how long each dinosaur?s teeth took to form, wear down, and be replaced. We are then using these data to create computerized engineering models of the dentitions and using them to explain how the chewing surfaces of each species were created. Ultimately we will correlate these data with dietary information and geographic radiations to gain a comprehensive understanding of how hadrosaurids came to dominant herbivorous roles during the age of dinosaurs. The results will serve as a model for understanding the genesis of complex dental structures and will be of interest to investigators in myriad scientific disciplines (e.g. vertebrate paleontology, paleobiology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, integrative biology, comparative physiology, ecology, herpetology, and mammalogy). Additional benefits of this study include educational opportunities for students and teachers. Justifications and descriptions of the research and findings will be posted on the internet for public access along with an archive of research images. Through the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Education Department?s summer intern program, high school students have the opportunity for hands-on participation in the project. Teacher training (for high school and middle school teachers) will also be conducted as a result of this grant. Teacher Professional Development Workshops, focusing on dinosaur evolutionary feeding ecology, will be held at the Gottesman Center at the AMNH. In addition this research will be shared with teachers who participate in hands-on histology activities during a special continuing education program at Florida State University.