State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology (China)

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology (China)
Name	State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology
Native name	国家古生物学重点实验室
Established	2007
Location	Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Parent institution	Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Director	Liu Yubiao

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology (China) The State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology is a major Chinese research center based in Nanjing, affiliated with the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It focuses on palaeobiology, paleontology, evolutionary biology, and stratigraphy, supporting multidisciplinary studies that intersect with geology, biology, and environmental science.

History

The laboratory originated from initiatives at the Paleontological Society of China and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, formalized during national science planning influenced by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Its inception followed cooperative programs with the Beijing Museum of Natural History, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, and the Chengdu Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources. Early collaborations involved expeditions to the Jehol Biota, Liaoning Province, and Yunnan Province and drew on comparative work with the Natural History Museum, London, the Smithsonian Institution, and the American Museum of Natural History. Key milestones paralleled projects led by figures associated with the International Palaeontological Association, the Royal Society, and the National Academy of Sciences (United States). Over time the laboratory expanded links with the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Tokyo, Australian Museum, Museum für Naturkunde, and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

Mission and Research Focus

The laboratory's mission aligns with national priorities set by the Ministry of Science and Technology (China) and strategic frameworks like the Five-Year Plan (China), emphasizing origins of major clades, mass extinctions, and biotic responses to past climate change. Research themes include Cambrian explosion studies referencing the Chengjiang Biota, Mesozoic vertebrate evolution tied to the Jehol Biota and Yanliao Biota, and Paleozoic diversification examined through correlations with the Sichuan Basin and Tarim Basin stratigraphies. Comparative work involves methods from teams at Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and the Max Planck Society. The laboratory also targets development of imaging and molecular proxies inspired by projects at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Facilities and Collections

The laboratory houses specialized facilities including micro-CT scanners modeled after instruments at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, scanning electron microscopes comparable to those at ETH Zurich, stable isotope mass spectrometers used by teams at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and thin-sectioning suites like those at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Collections encompass tens of thousands of specimens from formations such as the Yixian Formation, Doushantuo Formation, Liaoning Formation, and Huajiying Formation. The repository includes fossil vertebrates linked to research on Sinornithosaurus, Microraptor, Sinosauropteryx, and Feathered dinosaur specimens, invertebrate Lagerstätten comparable to Burgess Shale holdings, and plant fossils with parallels to collections at the Field Museum of Natural History and the Royal Ontario Museum. Support infrastructure includes cryo-preservation units inspired by laboratories at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and data centers interoperable with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Major Research Projects and Achievements

The laboratory has led high-profile projects on early animal evolution comparable to seminal work on the Cambrian explosion and produced influential studies on feather evolution, dinosaur-bird transitions referenced alongside research by scholars from Yale University and the University of Chicago. It contributed to reconstructions of Mesozoic ecosystems that inform global syntheses coordinated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change climate proxies group and paleobiogeographic frameworks used by the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). Notable achievements include taxonomic descriptions published in venues alongside authors from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, collaborations leading to joint fieldwork with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and methodological advances in taphonomy and geochemistry paralleling laboratories at University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The laboratory's work informed conservation dialogues involving the World Heritage Committee where fossil sites such as Vertebrate Fossil Site of Messel and Jehol Biota gained comparative attention.

Organization and Collaborations

Administratively, the laboratory operates within frameworks set by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and partners with provincial bodies such as the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology and municipal institutions in Nanjing. International collaborations include formal ties with the University of Edinburgh, University of Hong Kong, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, and cross-disciplinary links to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for heritage policy. Collaborative networks extend to research centers like the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the University of Copenhagen, Seoul National University, Monash University, and the University of São Paulo. Funding and project frameworks have been coordinated with agencies including the European Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, and multilateral programs involving the UNESCO.

Education, Training, and Public Outreach

The laboratory supports graduate programs through affiliations with Nanjing University, University of Science and Technology of China, and China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), offering doctoral supervision and postdoctoral fellowships comparable to programs at the Royal Society University Research Fellowship level. Training initiatives include field schools in Liaoning, paleontological workshops with the Natural History Museum, London, and joint summer courses with Harvard University and the University of Tokyo. Public outreach leverages exhibitions co-curated with the Nanjing Museum, traveling exhibits similar to those organized by the American Museum of Natural History, and digital resources interoperable with the Global Heritage Network. The laboratory engages in policy dialogues with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and participates in science communication platforms like collaborations with the China Science and Technology Museum.

Category:Paleontology in China Category:Research institutes in Nanjing