Award Abstract # 0920972
TRANSITION TO TAIL-POWERED SWIMMING IN THE FIRST FULLY AQUATIC WHALES OF EOCENE TETHYS (EGYPT)

NSF Org: EAR
Division Of Earth Sciences
Recipient: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Initial Amendment Date: August 2, 2009
Latest Amendment Date: August 2, 2009
Award Number: 0920972
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Yusheng Liu
EAR
 Division Of Earth Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: August 1, 2009
End Date: July 31, 2013 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $265,001.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $265,001.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2009 = $265,001.00
ARRA Amount: $265,001.00
History of Investigator:
  • Philip Gingerich (Principal Investigator)
    gingeric@umich.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
1109 GEDDES AVE STE 3300
ANN ARBOR
MI  US  48109-1015
(734)763-6438
Sponsor Congressional District: 06
Primary Place of Performance: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
1109 GEDDES AVE STE 3300
ANN ARBOR
MI  US  48109-1015
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
06
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): GNJ7BBP73WE9
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Sedimentary Geo & Paleobiology
Primary Program Source: 01R00910DB RRA RECOVERY ACT
Program Reference Code(s): 0000, 6890, OTHR
Program Element Code(s): 745900
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

Transition to Tail-Powered Swimming in the First Fully Aquatic Whales of Eocene Tethys (Egypt) P. D. Gingerich, University of Michigan

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Whales are mammals that evolved from land to sea during the Eocene epoch of geological time. The transition was made by Archaeoceti or archaic whales that are ancestral to modern Neoceti (Mysticeti or baleen whales and Odontoceti or toothed whales). Four stages of the transition are known from complete or virtually-complete skeletons: I, Eocene artiodactyl land mammals; II, the protocetid archaeocetes Rodhocetus and Maiacetus; III, the basilosaurid archaeocetes Basilosaurus and Dorudon; and IV, modern whales, which first appeared in the latest Eocene or Oligocene. Stage II archaeocetes were semiaquatic, foot-powered swimmers that fed in the sea but still gave birth on land. Stage III archaeocetes were fully aquatic, tail-powered swimmers that were the first to give birth at sea. The two stages differ morphologically in many skeletal characteristics, and the temporal gap between them is on the order of 10 million years (spanning the middle Lutetian through Bartonian ages of the middle Eocene). Skeletons of new morphological and temporal intermediates are required to understand the transition from semiaquatic to fully aquatic whales. Field work carried out from 2005 through 2008 in collaboration with the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency demonstrated that it is possible to collect well-preserved and exceptionally-complete skeletons of archaeocete whales from middle Lutetian through Bartonian glauconites (greensands) of the ancient Tethys Sea that are spectacularly exposed in the Western Desert of Egypt. Field research proposed here includes three annual two-month expeditions in Egypt, with the objectives being the discovery and analysis of new fossil whale material that fill gaps in early whale evolution. Such new evidence is essential for advancing knowledge of macroevolution across adaptive zones (in this case the transition from land to sea). Broader impacts of this project include enhancement of infrastructure for research and education through discovery of new skeletons representing early stages of whale evolution and training a postdoctoral fellow.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

Note:  When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

(Showing: 1 - 10 of 46)
Abd-Elshafy, E.; Gingerich, P. D.; Metwally, H. M.; Antar, M. S. M.; Zalmout, I. S.; Sanders, W. J. "Procedures and techniques used in preparing Basilosaurus isis WH-74 and similar vertebrates for mounting" Egyptian Journal of Paleontology , v.11 , 2011 , p.145
Abd-Elshafy, Ezzat//Gingerich, Philip D.//Metwally, Hatem M.//Antar, Mohammed Sameh M.//Zalmout, Iyad S.//Sanders, William J. "Procedures and techniques used in preparing Basilosaurus isis WH-74 and similar vertebrates for mounting" Egyptian Journal of Paleontology , v.11 , 2011 , p.145
Antar, Mohamed Sameh; Zalmout, Iyad S.; Gingerich, Philip D. "Sexual dimorphism in hind limbs of late Eocene Basilosaurus isis (Mammalia, Cetacea), Wadi al Hitan World Heritage Site, Egypt (abstract)" Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting, Program and Abstracts , v.2010 , 2010 , p.54 http://www.vertpaleo.org/meetings/documents/SVP10Abstracts_WEB.pdf
Antar, Mohamed Sameh//Zalmout, Iyad S.//Gingerich, Philip D. "Sexual dimorphism in hind limbs of late Eocene Basilosaurus isis (Mammalia, Cetacea), Wadi al Hitan World Heritage Site, Egypt (abstract)" Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting, Program and Abstracts , v.2010 , 2010 , p.54 http://www.vertpaleo.org/meetings/documents/SVP10Abstracts_WEB.pdf
Bebej, R. M.; Haq, M.; Zalmout, I. S.; Gingerich, P. D. "Morphology and function of the vertebral column in Remingtonocetus domandaensis (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the middle Eocene Domanda Formation of Pakistan" Journal of Mammalian Evolution , v.19 , 2012 , p.77 10.1007/s10914-011-9184-8
Bebej, Ryan M.//Haq, Munir-ul//Zalmout, Iyad S.//Gingerich, Philip D. "Morphology and function of the vertebral column in Remingtonocetus domandaensis (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the middle Eocene Domanda Formation of Pakistan" Journal of Mammalian Evolution , v.19 , 2012 , p.77 10.1007/s10914-011-9184-8
Bianucci, G.; Gingerich, P. D. "Aegyptocetus tarfa n. gen. et sp. (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the middle Eocene of Egypt: clinorhynchy, olfaction, and hearing in a protocetid whale" Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology , v.31 , 2011 , p.1173 10.1080/02724634.2011.607985
Bianucci, Giovanni//Gingerich, Philip D. "Aegyptocetus tarfa n. gen. et sp. (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the middle Eocene of Egypt: clinorhynchy, olfaction, and hearing in a protocetid whale" Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology , v.31 , 2011 , p.1173 10.1080/02724634.2011.607985
Cherney, M. D.; Gingerich, P. D.; Wilson, J. A. "New specimens of Cordichelys (Pleurodira, Podocnemididae) from late Eocene marine strata of Fayum, Egypt, and a reevaluation of Cordichelys antiqua (abstract)" Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting, Program and Abstracts , v.2011 , 2011 , p.87
Cherney, M., Sanders, W. J., Gingerich, P. D., Zalmout, I. S., Antar, M. S. "Production of multi-purpose molds for versatile, detailed replication of large-scale fossils: the Basilosaurus isis casting project as an exemplar (abstract)" Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology , v.29 (sup , 2009 , p.77A http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/documents/Cherney_et_al_2009.pdf
Cherney, M., Sanders, W. J., Gingerich, P. D., Zalmout, I. S., Antar, M. S. "Production of multi-purpose molds for versitile, detailed replication of large-scale fossils: the Basilosaurus isis casting project as an exemplar (abstract)" Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology , v.29 (sup , 2009 , p.77A http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/documents/Cherney_et_al_2009.pdf
(Showing: 1 - 10 of 46)

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Print this page

Back to Top of page