On June 17, the inauguration meeting for the Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Paleontology and Paleoenvironment was held at Guizhou University (GZU). Attending the event were Zhu Min, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, CAS; Zhang Dalin, Vice President of GZU; Zhao Fangchen, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee (Acting Head) and Deputy Director of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, CAS; and Xu Guomin, Director of the Innovation Platform Management Division of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Science and Technology. Experts and scholars from related institutions also participated in the meeting.

“Guizhou’s unique geological conditions provide a natural laboratory for paleontological research,” said Zhu Min, recalling his experience of conducting paleontological studies in Guizhou during the 1980s. He expressed high hopes for the future development of the laboratory, encouraging the participating institutions to fully leverage their respective strengths, integrate resources, and work in close collaboration to produce internationally influential research outcomes and contribute to local economic and social development.

Zhang Dalin remarked that the inauguration of the laboratory marks a new stage for GZU in the field of paleontological research. He also paid special tribute to the late Professor Zhao Yuanlong for his significant contributions to the field, encouraging the laboratory’s research team to carry forward Professor Zhao’s legacy and continue advancing the discipline. He said that by pooling the strengths of relevant institutions in the province, the laboratory will promote paleontology and paleoenvironment research to a higher level.

Zhao Fangchen reviewed the long-standing collaboration between the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, CAS, and GZU since the 1980s, including the joint designation of China’s 11th Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). He stressed that this partnership represents an important effort in deepening the integration of science and education and promoting collaborative innovation. He noted that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in areas such as the development of teaching and research platforms, the cultivation of top-tier talent, and the advancement of major national research initiatives.

“Guizhou, known as the ‘Kingdom of Paleontology’, boasts a continuous geological record spanning over 500 million years and a complete fossil assemblage of marine reptiles, offering a golden key to decoding the evolution of life on Earth,” said Xu Guomin. She noted that the establishment of the laboratory is both a concrete step in implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on basic research and a significant measure to build Guizhou into a model province for geological heritage protection. She said that the Provincial Department of Science and Technology will fully support the laboratory in terms of funding, projects, talent, and policy.

The Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Paleontology and Paleoenvironment was officially unveiled at the meeting, and a cooperation agreement on teaching and research was signed between GZU and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, CAS. The laboratory’s Academic Committee and management team were also announced, and letters of appointment were presented to the Director, members of the Academic Committee, and the laboratory’s director and deputy directors. Director Yang Xinglian delivered a report outlining the laboratory’s basic profile, foundations, and development goals.

Officially approved for construction in October 2024, the laboratory was jointly established by GZU, the Guizhou Geological Survey Institute, and the Guizhou Geological Museum. It will focus on four major research areas: stratigraphic boundaries; phylogeny and adaptive evolution of paleobiota; sedimentary environments and paleobiogeography; and the popularization of geological heritage.

Editors: Zhang Chan; Yin Zixi

Chief Editor: Li Xufeng

Senior Editor: Ding Long

Translator: Jia Haibo