Preparation of Vertebrate Fossils from the Triassic of Antarctica

知识价值：PI请求支持准备最近在南极洲中部横越南极山脉（CTAM）发现的大量脊椎动物化石。这些化石将用于将中生代早期的南极恐龙和其他脊椎动物置于全球进化、生物地理和动物环境中；评估南极洲三叠纪脊椎动物区系的特有程度；约束三叠纪南极脊椎动物动物群的时间关系；完善三叠纪南极脊椎动物组合的地层背景，建立古环境格架。下三叠纪和中三叠纪化石为研究二叠纪大灭绝后高纬度陆地环境中的生命提供了一个难得的窗口。更广泛的影响：PI将通过参观当地学校，利用他们的化石向公众宣传南极洲的地质、气候和生物历史。他们将在伯克博物馆的博客上制作并发布至少两个与研究生有关的新视频。他在南极洲实地工作的经历。他们还将在UWBM“探索你的世界”网站上更新南极部分，提供他们实地考察季节的图像和发现。

Intellectual Merit: The PI requests support for preparation of a large collection of vertebrate fossils recently recovered from the Central Transantarctic Mountains (CTAM) of Antarctica. These fossils will be used to place early Mesozoic Antarctic dinosaurs and other vertebrates into a global evolutionary, biogeographic, and faunal context; assess the degree of endemism in Triassic vertebrate faunas of Antarctica; constrain temporal relationships of the Triassic Antarctic vertebrate faunas; and refine the stratigraphic context for the Triassic Antarctic vertebrate assemblages to establish a paleoenvironmental framework. The lower and middle Triassic fossils offer a rare window on life in terrestrial environments at high-latitudes immediately after the Permian mass extinction. Broader impacts: The PI will use their fossils to educate the public about the geologic, climatic, and biologic history of Antarctica by visiting local schools. They will create and publish at least two new videos to the Burke Museum blog that relate the graduate student?s experience of fieldwork in Antarctica. They will also update the Antarctica section on the UWBM "Explore Your World" website with images and findings from their field season.