Collaborative Research: A Chronology and Ecological Context of Primate and Mammalian Evolution

在过去几百年里发现的灵长类动物化石极大地提高了对灵长类动物进化的理解。然而，关于当地地质和许多化石物种的精确鉴定之间的关系，主要问题仍然存在。最近，在中新世中期的沉积物中发现了新的灵长类动物化石，包括一种新的猿类，这表明有可能发现更多的重要发现。在这个项目中，研究人员将重新分析当地的地质情况，寻找更多的化石，并重新评估先前确定的哺乳动物物种，以建立更精确的地质年龄估计，并推进对灵长类动物和哺乳动物进化和环境的了解。该项目涉及来自高中到研究生院代表性不足群体的学生，为他们提供在进化生物学、地质学、古生物学和成像方面的STEM研究机会。此外，它将促进研究合作和培训机会。将通过各种媒体形式提供外展服务，并将数字化化石作为虚拟实验室的一部分提供给研究人员和教育工作者，以促进科学探究。该项目结合了古生物学和地质学野外工作、实验室恢复工作和中中新世沉积物同位素分析。调查人员将：(1)从新发现的化石地点恢复更多的化石；(2)建立更准确的生物年代学和地层评价；(3)重建这些化石地点的古环境，以评估该地区的动物和古生态与其他已被充分研究的地点的关系。化石将通过地面调查和在实验室环境中对微哺乳动物沉积物进行湿筛来收集。与当地动物专家联合开展的动物鉴定工作将首次使修订的标准化分类和更新的生物年代学与区域动物的直接关联成为可能。地质调查工作将集中于重新解释主要的砂岩地层，并努力使用GIS中的新方法将含化石的地点置于更牢固的相对地层框架中。通过对哺乳动物牙釉质化石的相对动物丰度和稳定同位素分析进行古环境重建。最后，利用三维表面扫描和微型ct成像技术将区域化石收集数字化，然后在网上提供，以方便研究人员进行动物鉴定和未来的科学研究。本项目由生物人类学和沉积地质与古生物学两个学科共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Primate fossils discovered over the past few hundred years have vastly improved the understanding of primate evolution. However, major questions remain regarding the relationship between local geology and the precise identification of many fossil species. Recently, new fossil primates, including a new ape species, were discovered in Middle Miocene deposits, demonstrating the potential for significant additional finds. In this project, the investigators will reanalyze local geology, search for additional fossils, and reassess previously identified mammal species to develop more precise geological age estimates and advance knowledge about primate and mammalian evolution and environments. The project involves students from underrepresented groups from high school through graduate school, providing them with STEM research opportunities in evolutionary biology, geology, paleontology, and imaging. Furthermore, it will foster research collaborations and training opportunities. Outreach will be provided through various media formats and digitized fossils will be made available to researchers and educators to promote scientific inquiry as part of a virtual laboratory.This project combines paleontological and geological fieldwork with lab-based recovery efforts and isotopic analyses focused on Middle Miocene deposits. The investigators will: (1) recover additional fossils from newly discovered fossil localities; (2) establish a more accurate biochronological and stratigraphic assessment of these localities; and (3) reconstruct the paleoenvironment at these fossil localities to assess how the fauna and paleoecology of the region relate to other well-studied localities. Fossils will be collected through surface surveys and wet sieving of sediments for micromammals in a laboratory setting. A joint faunal identification effort with local faunal experts will allow for a revised, standardized taxonomy and an updated biochronological correlation directly with regional fauna for the first time. Geological survey efforts will concentrate on reinterpretation of the major sandstone stratigraphy with an effort to place the fossil-bearing localities in a firmer relative stratigraphic framework using novel methods in GIS. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions will be conducted via relative faunal abundances and stable isotope analyses on fossil mammal enamel. Finally, regional fossil collections will be digitized using 3D surface scanning and micro-CT imaging, and then made available online to facilitate faunal identifications across researchers and for future scientific study. This project is jointly supported by the Biological Anthropology and Sedimentary Geology & Paleobiology programs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.