With matching funds from the National Science Foundation and Duke University, Dr. Elwyn Simons will purchase a Toyota Land Cruiser Station Wagon (GX Model) for use in his Egyptian paleontological research. Sites located at Fayum, Moghara and adjacent regions in the northern Egyptian desert are extremely important because they provide a unique window into vertebrate evolution in Africa during the Eocene and Oligocene periods. They document the story of higher primate origins in Africa, including the radiation of proto-monkeys or apes between about 36 and 17 million years ago. Mammals, reptiles and birds from a broad array of groups are also collected as is geological, stratigraphic and environmental data. Over the many years of this continuing project, twenty-five different primate species have been discovered or named, belonging to at least nine families and fifteen genera. Over the last seven years, fifty-one US and international scientists have collaborated to publish over 93 papers. At present 35 additional papers are in press or in progress. It is extremely difficult to transport and maintain a research project in a desert area where roads are poor or absent. Because of the distribution of fossil sites, the group must maintain three camps and this significantly increases logistic problems. A new Toyota Land Cruiser will greatly increase the efficiency of the research. Over the many years of its existence both graduate and undergraduate students have participated in this field research and many are now active researchers. The training and educational aspects of the project therefore are also significant.
