Nanging Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS)

About the Institute

Nanging Institute of Geology and paleontology, Academia Sinica (Chinese Academy of Sciences), was established on May 7,1951, derived from the former Paleontological Section , Institute of Geology (Academia Sinica) and Paleontological Group of the Geological Survey. The founding director of the institute was Prof. Li Siguang (J.S.Lee). The present director of the institute is Prof. Dr. Yang Qun.

Origin, radiation, extinction and recovery

The Origin, Radiation, Extinction, and Recovery of life at Critical Intervals in the Geological History: The patterns and environmental context of the origin, diversification, extinction, and recovery of major groups.

The origin of life, evolution

The Origin and Evolution of Early Life on the Earth and the Cambrian Explosion: In the recent years, Chinese paleontologists have made important discoveries bearing on the early evolution of life and the Cambrian Explosion. This project focuses particularly on the Cambrian Chengjiang Biota, the Precambrian Weng’an Biota, the Huainan Biota, the Miaohe Biota, the Xilingxia Biota, and the Lantian Biota. The goal of this project is to provide detailed paleontological data on the diversification of metazoans and to better understand the evolutionary mechanisms behind the Cambrian Radiation.

Ancient plant's origin and evolution of group

The Origin and Evolution of Major Plant Group: This project emphasizes the study of Mesozoic ginkgoaleans, early vascular plants, early angiosperms, reproductive structure and in-situ spores of filicopsids, and ultrastructures of epidermis cells and in-situ spores

Paleozoic marine life and the evolution pattern

The Evolutionary Patterns of Paleozoic Marine Biodiversity: Systematic survey of Paleozoic biodiversity of the marine ecosystem; the temporal and spatial distribution of Paleozoic biodiversity; the relationship between biodiversity evolution and environmental change.

Terrestrial ecosystems and palaeogeographic

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic Non-Marine Ecosystem and Paleogeography: East Asia has been dominated by non-marine ecosystems since the Indo-China Orogeny in Triassic. Mesozoic volcanic activities and volcano-lacustrine deposits are common in East Asia. The goal of this project is to establish the Mesozoic stratigraphic systems of particularly non-marine Jurassic and Cretaceous successions in China, to establish a global correlation scheme for Mesozoic non-marine sequences, to understand the evolution of Mesozoic-Cenozoic ecosystem and paleogeography, and to understand the driving forces of such evolution.

Formation system and the boundary layer type

Global Chronostratigraphy and Global Stratotypes: The goal of this project is to establish a global chronostratigraphic system and to prodvide a universal time scale for the study of the history of life and earth. In particular, we will establish the Chinese standard for the Cambrian and Ordovician systems, and study (and to revise) the stratotypes of the Middle-Upper Cambrian, the Cambrian-Ordovician, the Silurian-Devonian, and the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundaries, as well as the stage boundaries of the Lopingian.

Jehol Biota

The Jehol Biota: The systematics, paleogeography, and paleoclimatology of the Jehol Biota; the origin, diversification, and extinction of major fossil groups in the Mesozoic; the environmental evolution of East Asia since Mesozoic.

Biological and environmental co-evolution

Co-evolution of Life and Its Living Environment in Geological History: Studying processes and mechanisms involving major transitions of ecosystem (e.g., geological background for Cambrian Explosion, origin of land ecosystem, and Cenozoic global climatic change and biological evolution), by combining data from paleontology, sedimentology, and geochemistry, providing historical lessons on the importance of sustainable development and biodiversity preservation.

Molecular paleontology

olecular Paleobiology: Studying the degradation and preservation pattern of fossil DNA and other biomolecules using controlled experiments, providing information in molecular level of biological systematics, timing critical bio-events, and missing links in organic evolution

Important paleontological groups and key areas, key stratigraphic study of the fine

Studies on Selected Fossil Groups, Regions, or Time-Intervals in Geological History: The rich and diverse fossil materials and the complex geological history in China have left many unexplored territories for further detailed work on regional geological history, evolution of some particular fossil groups, and data synthesis.

International Collaboration

During the past 5 years, we have about 1000 occasions of overseas scholars visiting and lecturing in the institute or attending international conferences sponsored by the institute, and more than 400 occasions of academic visits abroad by our faculty members for lectures, collaborations, international conferences, fieldwork, and study.

During the past 5 years, we have hosted ten major international conferences including "The fourth International Symposium on the Cambrian System","International Symposium on the Jurassic Boundary Events", "The Second International Palaeontological Congress(2006)", "The 10th International Symposium on the Ordovician System and The 3rd International Symposium on the Silurian System(2007)","XVI International Congress on the Carboniferous and Permian(2007)",etc.

We also have many international collaborative projects, including Evolution on Earth Life and Cambrian Explosion, Origin of Angiosperms, Extinction and Recovery of Biota in Geological Records, Biostratigraphy and Stratotype.

More than 40 scientists in this institute have held more than 60 positions as chairmen, vice-chairmen, executive members, voting members, etc. in international academic organizations.