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Explore the diversity & distribution of fossil vertebrates in Asia

VERTEBRATE PALAEONTOLOGY IN ASIA

Home > Fieldwork & Research > Vertebrate Palaeontology in Asia​

Asia preserves a rich and diverse fossil record of vertebrates, which is crucial for understanding the global radiation, adaptation, and evolution of these groups. It also helps reconstruct Asia’s terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems across different geological periods.

 

In addition to dinosaurs, the Centre also studies the fossil record of pterosaurs and other vertebrates, with a particular focus on the morphology, function, and evolution of Chinese pterosaurs. Through specimen-based research, comparative anatomy, and digital technologies, we investigate their roles in the Mesozoic aerial ecosystem. These studies broaden the scope of Asian vertebrate palaeontology beyond dinosaurs, providing a more complete picture of the Mesozoic world.

 

In recent years, the Centre's founder have not only carried out frequent joint fieldwork and research in China, but have also actively participated in expeditions and academic exchanges in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Mongolia. We have established strong collaborative networks with palaeontologists in many regions. Through cross-regional comparisons, we explore the diversity, biogeographical distribution, and evolutionary relationships of Asian fossils, as well as their broader implications for global vertebrate palaeontology.

PUBLICATIONS

  • Direct evidence of carnivory in the early-diverging Alvarezsaurian Bannykus. 2025. The Innovation Geoscience, 3(3), pp.100143-1.

  • New sauropod remains from the middle Jurassic Dongdaqiao Formation of Qamdo, eastern Tibet. 2023. Palaeoworld, 33(3), pp.744-752.

  • A taxonomic revision of the Sinopterus complex (Pterosauria, Tapejaridae) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, with the new genus Huaxiadraco. 2023. PeerJ, 11, p.e14829.

  • A new subadult specimen of oviraptorid Yulong mini (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, central China. 2022. Cretaceous Research, 138, p.105261.

  • An exquisitely preserved in-ovo theropod dinosaur embryo sheds light on avian-like prehatching postures. 2022. IScience, 25(1).

  • Relatively low tooth replacement rate in a sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Ruyang Basin of central China. 2021. PeerJ, 9, p.e12361.

  • A new darwinopteran pterosaur reveals arborealism and an opposed thumb. 2021. Current Biology, 31(11), pp.2429-2436.

  • Sinomacrops bondei, a new anurognathid pterosaur from the Jurassic of China and comments on the group. 2021. PeerJ, 9, p.e11161.

  • Functional anatomy of a giant toothless mandible from a bird-like dinosaur: Gigantoraptor and the evolution of the oviraptorosaurian jaw. 2017. Scientific reports, 7(1), p.16247.

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