In the past 20 years, some of the most exciting fossil discoveries have been found in China. Spectacular fossils are brought to light that are previously unheard of or unimagined, ranging from Precambrian embryos, Cambrian basal animal groups, transitional fishes leading to invasion of land, exquisitely preserved Mesozoic plants, birds and dinosaurs, and an abundance of Cenozoic mammals. Such an unprecedented inventory of discoveries is accompanied by an equally unprecedented increase in funding for Chinese geology and paleontology. Amid this exciting context, collaborations between US and Chinese paleontologists and related geologic disciplines are flourishing. There is much to be gained in these broad collaborations. Specialists from the US bring to the table innovative approaches as well as a large existing body of knowledge, whereas Chinese scientists have rapidly acquired the state-of-the-art practice, and have leveraged these collaborations for additional funding from Chinese sources. PIs plan to bring approximately 50 paleontologists (~20 American) and related geoscientists and students from US and China, as well as administrators of relevant Chinese funding agencies, for a four-day workshop in Kunming, China. Cost for the participation of Chinese scientists and students will be borne by the Natural National Science Foundation of China.
A Critical Transitions workshop, held in Kunming, China in August 4-6, 2013, was jointly supported by this grant and matching grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. This grant enabled about 80 specialists in geochronology, geochemistry, biostratigraphy, zoogeography, paleoenvironment, and systematics from US and China, plus a few from other foreign countries, to participate in a lively discourse on the major challenges in the history of life and their environment as related to the major events in the history of life during the past 600 million years. Life during the earth’s history has experienced many profound critical transitions both in response to dramatic environmental changes and through cumulative organismal evolution. To meet these grant challenges, workshop participants bring their cutting edge disciplines to bear on an ever expanding array of questions. However, this workshop is most unique in its collaborative nature. It is through close collaborations between US and Chinese geologists and paleontologists that some of the best science was accomplished. Paleontology and related disciplines are arguably the fastest growing fields in China, which has seen explosive growth in the past 10 years with stunning discoveries from exquisitely preserved fossils in the Cambrian explosion, to explosive radiations of Mesozoic plants, insects, mammals, dinosaurs, and birds, to the final arrival of man during Quaternary ice ages. These discoveries fill some of the biggest voids in our knowledge of the history of evolution, as well as posing new questions and hypotheses to test. Collaborations between US and Chinese scientists played no small part in this growth. The series of Critical Transitions workshops since 2005 have played an important role in facilitating and encouraging collaborations, formulating strategies for tackling the toughest questions that are beyond individuals or single countries, as well as leveraging NSF grants in obtaining additional Chinese funding sources. Knowledge of fossil organisms’ morphology, systematics, worldwide distributions can only be appropriately integrated by broad networks of international cooperation. The popularity of fossils offer great opportunity for communicating the excitement about the geosciences and paleontology to the general public, and US and China are two countries with some of the richest fossil resources in the world. Special emphasis has been placed on encouraging participation by graduate students as well as by people who did not have opportunities to interact with Chinese colleagues. During the Kunming workshop, 50% of the US award recipients went to graduate students and early career faculty, all greatly appreciating the opportunity to interact with their Chinese counterparts. The Chinese side also has realized an appreciable shift toward participation by younger and less senior scientists over the years. The workshops are expected to lead to fruitful US-China scientific collaboration and success in funding from the US and Chinese sources.
