Fossil record of New Brunswick to shed new light on early vertebrate evolution

古生物学具有几乎无与伦比的能力，可以引起所有年龄段的人的兴趣和好奇心。通过博物馆早期参与古生物学研究，点燃了人们对自然科学和其他STEM领域的热情。博物馆为公众提供了难得的机会，让他们在一个旨在促进有影响力的体验式学习的环境中直接参与科学发现和科学家。博物馆最吸引人的地方之一是化石画廊。加拿大的化石记录是我国自然遗产的核心。加拿大丰富的化石记录的世界级质量在全国各地的许多特殊地方都是显而易见的。其中几个地方拥有国际赞誉，如联合国教科文组织世界遗产称号，以表彰它们生产的具有全球意义的化石。尽管其中许多地方的研究都很活跃，但其他几个具有进一步提升加拿大发现和勘探潜力的领域尚未得到充分探索。其中一个即将迎来加拿大古生物发现重大突破的地区是新不伦瑞克石炭纪。石炭纪(3.59至2.99亿年前)是地球历史上一个特别重要的时期，因为它见证了主要脊椎动物(有脊骨的动物)的进化。全球只有少数遗址保存着这个年代的岩石，有可能保存脊椎动物。与新不伦瑞克博物馆合作，我们的NSERC联盟旨在开发和执行一个多学科研究项目，该项目将：1)首次通过年度野外考察瞄准并突出新布伦瑞克的石炭纪岩石，2)利用新发现的和现有的化石材料进行前沿的综合研究，3)在多学科研究方面为高素质人员(HQP)的培训做出贡献，以及4)通过我们合作机构的展品与公众交流结果。任何研究成果都有可能具有开创性的科学重要性，并将通过公众参与产生兴奋，并在更广泛的范围内促进NBM、该省和加拿大的旅游业。

Paleontology has an almost unparalleled ability to elicit interest and curiosity in people of all ages. Early engagement in paleontology via museums ignites passion for the natural sciences and other STEM fields. Museums provide rare opportunities for members of the public to directly engage with scientific discoveries and scientists in an environment intended to promote impactful, experiential learning. One of the greatest attractions at museums are the fossil galleries. The fossil record of Canada is central to our Nation's natural heritage. The world-class quality of Canada's rich fossil record is evident at numerous special places across the country. Several of these localities boast international accolades, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, in recognition of the globally significant fossils they produce. Although research is active in many of these places, several additional areas with great potential to further elevate Canadian discovery and exploration have yet to be fully explored. One such area primed to host the next big breakthrough in Canadian paleontological discovery is the Carboniferous of New Brunswick. The Carboniferous Period (359 to 299 million years ago) is a particularly important time interval in Earth's history because it saw the evolution of the major groups of living vertebrates (animals with backbones). Only a handful of sites globally preserve rocks of this age, with the potential to preserve vertebrates. In partnership with the New Brunswick Museum, our NSERC Alliance aims to develop and execute a multidisciplinary research project that will: 1) target and highlight the Carboniferous rocks of New Brunswick through annual field expeditions for the first time, 2) perform leading-edge, integrative research using newly discovered and existing fossil materials, 3) contribute to the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) in multi-disciplinary research, and 4) communicate resulting discoveries with the public through the development of exhibits at our partner institution. Any research outcome has the potential to be of groundbreaking scientific importance, and will generate excitement via public engagement and promote tourism for the NBM, the province and Canada, more broadly.