The southern portion of Ethiopia's Weyto Basin (aka Chew Bahir Basin) appears to contain substantial sedimentary deposits with potentially significant mammalian faunas. This characterization is based on geological maps, remote sensing data, and very brief ground survey. PI plans to systematically survey southern Weyto to determine its geological and paleontological attributes. If the preliminary indicators are accurate, this area may provide deposits useful for testing multiple important hypotheses in paleobiology and geology. Funding is requested here for a one month geological and paleontological survey of the southern Weyto basin to evaluate the potential of these deposits for testing three main sets of hypotheses: the relationship between climate change and mammalian evolution, the biogeographic divergence of the Afar and Omo-Turkana Basin faunas, and the relationship between rifting, uplift, and aridification in East Africa.
