Collaborative research: paleontological and geological contexts of human origins
Active Project Grant Awarded Last action
- Award ID
- 2550159
- Recipient
-
Midwestern University UEI XD93A5U66T24
- Awarding agency
-
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
National Science Foundation
- Obligated
- $160,086
Award facts
- Assistance listing
- 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
- Completion date 62% complete
- Place of performance
- Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA
Award details come from USAspending.gov.
Description
- Abstract
- This project studies 6-million-year-old paleontological sites to retrieve fossil, paleoenvironmental, and geological data relevant for understanding human origins. The age of the fossil sites coincides with the emergence of the human lineage, and the paleontological assemblages provide novel information regarding the ecological contexts and evolutionary histories of related fauna. The project supports field work, analytical analyses, graduate and undergraduate student training opportunities, and public science outreach. Paleontological sites sampling the critical period when human ancestors first evolved (6 million years ago) are exceptionally rare. The investigators conduct intensive (I) paleontological recovery, (II) paleoenvironmental reconstruction through multiple proxies, and (III) refinement and expansion of the regional geological framework in a key region for understanding hominin origins. Local paleoclimate, vegetation structure, and herbivore community ecology are investigated using phytolith analyses and stable isotope analyses of paleosol carbonates, leaf waxes, and fossil mammalian tooth enamel. Geologic work includes tephra analysis, stratigraphic measurements, and high-resolution mapping to constrain the age and environmental context and enable local correlations and linkages to other paleontological sites. The multi-proxy approach used in this project provides robust dietary niche and environmental reconstructions to better contextualize the fossil assemblages during the emergence of the human lineage. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.
Transactions
| Action | Obligated | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment | $51,000 | |
| Original award | $109,086 |
Quick answers
Who received award 2550159?
2550159 was awarded to Midwestern University by Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (National Science Foundation) on July 15, 2025.
How much is award 2550159 worth?
$160,086 has been obligated on 2550159.
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