This award supports a planning visit to enable Dr. Warren Allmon of the Paleontological Research Institute in Ithaca, New York to meet with Dr. James Crampton of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. The visit will help develop a collaborative plan for undertaking research on the evolutionary dynamics of neogene turritelline gastropods. A multidisciplinary approach is being proposed using phylogenetic analysis of fossil taxa, genetic sequence data from modern relatives of those fossil taxa, and the exceptionally complete and well studied stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental framework available in the New Zealand Cenozoic.
Turritellines are one of the most abundant and diverse mollusk groups in the Cenozoic period. Although they were once almost ubiquitous in the worlds shallow seas, New Zealand is one of the few places today where numerous living species can be traced backeward far into the Cenozoic. This potentially provides an unparalleled opportunity to study evolutionary dynamics in this important group. This visit will be followed by an extensive examination of both the recent and fossil shells at macro-and microscopic levels. Access to the current collections, potentially in multiple locations in New Zealand, will be available to further the research. It is also anticipated that this project will provide unique training and educational opportunities for a U.S. graduate student to obtain a global research experience. It is anticipated that these early collaborations between the scientists and students from each country will lead to long-term collaborations that will benefit both institutions.
