Projektbeschreibung
Ein groß angelegtes paläontologisches Projekt im Sudan
Die paläontologische Forschung in Afrika hat einen reichen Fundus an Fossilien aus dem Pleistozän zutage gefördert. Die meisten Fossilienfundstellen befinden sich jedoch im Ostafrikanischen Grabenbruch, was zu einer geografischen Verzerrung führt. Daher ist unser Wissen über regionale Faunen sowie über die Rolle der Ausbreitung und geografischen Variation bei der Entstehung moderner Ökosysteme (einschließlich des Menschen) begrenzt. Darüber hinaus ist die Rolle des Nils bei der Ausbreitung von Tieren und Kulturen noch nicht hinreichend erforscht. Das EU-finanzierte Projekt PALEONILE kombiniert paläontologische, geologische, geochronologische und archäologische Ansätze, um neue Fossilien aus dem Nilbecken des Sudan zu finden. Zudem werden Hypothesen zur pleistozänen zoogeografischen Regionalisierung des Nilbeckens im Hinblick auf den Ostafrikanischen Grabenbruch und die umliegenden Gebiete geprüft.
Ziel
Over a century of paleontological investigation in Africa has revealed a rich Pleistocene fossil record that includes the evolution of hominins and their material cultures. However, the vast majority of fossil sites are located in the East African Rift Valley (EARV), and our knowledge is heavily skewed by this geographic bias. Poor continental geographic sampling means we lack an understanding of faunal regional variations, and the role of dispersal and geographic variation in the emergence of modern ecosystems. Furthermore, many have questioned the role of the Nile, the longest river in the world, in promoting faunal and cultural dispersal between Subsaharan and North Africa, and beyond to Eurasia. For decades such questions have been answered speculatively, with little data to stand on. PALEONILE is an ambitious project that will address these major gaps in our knowledge through large-scale surveys to reveal a new fossil record from the Middle Nile River Basin in Sudan. This project will test an overarching hypothesis of Pleistocene zoogeographic regionalization in the Nile Basin with respect to the EARV and surrounding areas, and will use an interdisciplinary array of paleontological, geological, geochronological, and archaeological approaches to reach its objectives. The geographic scale of the project is large and the techniques are cutting edge, including high-risk experimental methodologies such as paleobiomolecular recovery and new developments in sedimentary dating. PALEONILE forms the first ever large-scale systematic paleontological project to be conducted in Sudan, where the Cenozoic fossil record remains largely undiscovered, and its potential overlooked. PALEONILE will generate a new paradigm of zoogeographic dynamics and evolution in the African Pleistocene that represents a new synthesis of hydrographic, phylogenomic, archaeological, and paleontological evidence.
Wissenschaftliches Gebiet
Programm/Programme
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Thema/Themen
Finanzierungsplan
HORIZON-AG - HORIZON Action Grant Budget-BasedGastgebende Einrichtung
10115 Berlin
Deutschland