China News Service Chongqing, April 11 Title: Dai Hui: Chinese paleontological research, why do papers frequently appear "foreign authors"?
Author Zhang Xu
In recent years, China's paleontological research has been very lively, and there are constantly new genera of dinosaurs and paleovertebrate fossil discoveries published in core journals. Many Chinese-led paleontological research of new genera species have also been participated in by foreign authoritative experts.
For example, in March 2022, the discovery paper on Asia's oldest stegosaurus, The Yuanshi Bashanosaurus, was published, and its third author, Susannah C. R. Maidment, is a research librarian at the Museum of Natural History Research in the United Kingdom. Another example is the Pu'an Yunyang Dragon discovered in 2020, and the second author of his paper, Roger B. J. Benson, is a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Why did the "foreign expert" become the author of the Chinese dinosaur paper? Why are they involved? And what can it bring to research? In this regard, China News Agency's "East and West Question" interviewed Dai Hui, deputy chief engineer of the 208 geological team of Chongqing Municipal Geological Survey Bureau and director of the Chongqing Key Laboratory of Co-evolution of Paleontology and Paleoenvironment in Sichuan-Chongqing.
The interview transcript is summarized below:
China News Service: What roles did Susannah C. R. Maidment and Roger B. J. Benson play in the papers of Yuan Shi Bashan Long and Pu'an Yunyang Dragon?
Dai Hui: This is a new genus of dinosaur research led by Chinese experts, thanks to the guidance of Chinese experts such as Xu Xing, researcher of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peng Guangzhao, research librarian of zigong dinosaur museum, and foreign experts have also cooperated with us.
Roger B. J. Benson provides guidance on dinosaur morphology and phylogenetic evolution in his research on The Dragon of Pu'an. He is a reviewer of international academic journals and his native English speaker is very helpful in improving the quality of our articles. At the same time, as an authority on the study of large theropod dinosaurs, he was able to check the direction of our article and became the second author of our article.
Susannah C. R. Maidment is the world's authority on stegosaurus research. The skeletal features of The Metaphysicsosaurus are very well defined and differ significantly from those of known Jurassic stegosaurs. She personally conducted a phylogenetic analysis of Yuanshi Bashanosaurus to determine its position in the evolution of Stegosaurus.
It should be noted that phylogenetic analysis, this scientific research process is very rigorous, different knowledge, experience of people to operate, the reliability and credibility of the conclusions are different. Her analysis increased the credibility of the paper. At the same time, she also helped us improve the quality of our articles academically and linguistically.
Fossil Restoration Center of Chongqing Geological Relics Conservation and Research Laboratory. China News Service reporter Chen Chao photographed
China News Service: Why does paleontology research need east-west cooperation?
Dai Hui: First of all, the competition between Eastern and Western researchers in paleontological research is not obvious.
This is determined by the characteristics of paleontological research. Because the basis of paleontological research is fossils, and fossils are unique, and all research and conclusions are based on fossil evidence, paleontological research is difficult to have a competitive situation similar to materials science (such as batteries, aviation materials), biology (such as new coronavirus vaccine research and development), and communication technology (such as 5G technology).
Second, current Paleontological studies in the East and the West are complementary.
China is rich in fossil resources. In the 1990s, the discovery of paleontological fossil groups represented by the Chengjiang fauna and the Rehe biota greatly promoted the development of Paleontological research in China, and in the following 30 years, China's paleontological research has made great progress, reaching the world's advanced level in various fields.
In the West at the same time, especially in britain, because fossil resources were increasingly scarce, their researchers were relatively more proactive in the exploration of research methods. That is to say, China has more advantages in fossil resources and basic research on paleontology, while foreign countries have more innovative advantages in research methods.
Therefore, the exchange and cooperation of paleontological research is mutually needed. This is the best of times from the point of view of promoting the development of paleontology.
Third, collaboration can make research more perfect and impactful. The cooperation between Yuan Shi Bashan Dragon and Pu'an Yunyang Dragon in research methods and the language of the paper proves this.
From the perspective of paleontological research, muffled research cannot be "thriving". Paleontological research is a theory, just know that the conclusion is of little use, the discipline to develop, you have to open the "other side", you have studied morphology, but also to study biology, environmental science, etc., to expand the scope, depth, angle of research, in order to usher in the vigorous development of the discipline.
At the Fossil Restoration Center of Chongqing Geological Relics Protection and Research Laboratory, staff are restoring the fossils of Yuan ShiBaShan Dragon. Photographed by Chen Chao, a reporter from China News Service
China News Service: At present, what is the situation of cooperation between the East and the West in paleontological research? What results have been achieved?
Dai Hui: First, people's exchanges are close. In Chinese and foreign paleontology, students can go to other schools to study. Researchers can also be visiting scholars, go with the project, do it with foreign researchers, and even cooperate with more well-known scholars. This kind of human communication is a two-way street.
The second is the high degree of openness to fossil resources. If I need to observe many fossil specimens in the process of research, which may belong to different research institutions, universities and museums, I can apply to the other party to observe these specimens, and usually succeed. I have asked foreign researchers to help me take pictures of some fossils, and the other party is happy to assist me. vice versa.
At the Fossil Restoration Center of Chongqing Geological Relics Conservation and Research Laboratory, staff are displaying fossils of Yuanshi Bashan Dragon. China News Service reporter Chen Chao photographed
Third, there are many academic exchanges. There are many cooperation and academic conferences between academic institutions, and researchers from the East and the West are very willing to participate, which is not only conducive to the external publication of research results, but also a process of network expansion, which is beneficial to academic exchanges.
Most researchers are willing to promote research methods, and many universities and research institutions in the world will organize training lectures on various research methods, and everyone can apply to participate. At present, it is not the human factor that poses a greater resistance to us, but the new crown epidemic. At present, there are fewer opportunities for face-to-face communication, but we communicate in depth through email and online.
Before the publication of a core journal paper, the editor will seek opinions from relevant experts around the world, will randomly solicit reviewers, and everyone will communicate in depth under the condition of anonymity, and finally do the research deeply and thoroughly.
Fossil Restoration Center of Chongqing Geological Relics Conservation and Research Laboratory. China News Service reporter Chen Chao photographed
China News Service: In your opinion, what is the significance of paleontological research and cooperation for the public? In what areas can we continue to deepen in the future?
Dai Hui: These "unpopular" studies of paleontology are often called "useless sciences", but in fact, they are useful and applied throughout the fields of science, culture, and economy.
In terms of culture, there are still many IPs worth mining.
Frankly speaking, China's cultural IP for dinosaurs has not been excavated enough, there are almost no movies about dinosaurs, and even documentaries are few, and some well-known IPs such as "Jurassic Park" movies and dinosaur theme parks can be excavated, which is a good place to learn from the West.
In science, paleontology can also help with science.
In our research, we have done CT for dinosaur bones, because the degree of fossil petrochemicalization of dinosaurs is very high, the required ability is very high, CT equipment are specially customized, in this process, the relevant scientific research units have also found some CT equipment can be improved.
Also, at present, we cannot extract the DNA of dinosaur fossils, because dinosaur fossils have experienced tens of millions to hundreds of millions of years, and the current technology cannot be reached, but this does not mean that there is no DNA left on the fossils, and perhaps the relevant technologies can be conquered in the future.
Through the cross-application of disciplines, we can increase our understanding of ancient times and even make us re-understand the world. At the same time, medical and biological methods help paleontological research and promote their own continued development.
The economic value of paleontology cannot be ignored either.
After the excavation of dinosaurs in many parts of the world, dinosaur museums have been built, which are very popular with the public and promote the development of regional tourism and economy. Paleontology represented by dinosaurs can even be an economic IP, and how to better play its role is worth exploring with the world. (End)
Respondent Profiles:
Dai Hui, male, postdoctoral fellow in paleontology and stratigraphy, is currently the deputy chief engineer of the 208 Geological Team of Chongqing Geological Survey Bureau and the president of the Institute of Geological Relics Protection, and the director of the Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Co-evolution of Paleontology and Paleoenvironment. Discovery and establishment of a new dinosaur fauna "Chongqing Yunyang Dinosaur Fauna", and the research results fill in the important links of dinosaur evolution.