The Rising of Paleontology in China: A Century-Long Road

SIMPLE SUMMARY: A brief account of the history of Chinese paleontology for about one century is provided with some perspectives for its future development. The development of Chinese paleontology is closely related to its social-ecological background as well as its connection to the outside world. On the other hand, the rising of the Chinese paleontology also benefitted from its rich fossil resources as well as the integration with other biological and geological disciplines and the use of new technologies. ABSTRACT: In this paper, the history of paleontology in China from 1920 to 2020 is divided into three major stages, i.e., 1920–1949, 1949–1978, and 1979–2020. As one of the first scientific disciplines to have earned international fame in China, the development of Chinese paleontology benefitted from international collaborations and China’s rich resources. Since 1978, China’s socio-economic development and its open-door policy to the outside world have also played a key role in the growth of Chinese paleontology. In the 21st century, thanks to constant funding from the government and the rise of the younger generation of paleontologists, Chinese paleontology is expected to make even more contributions to the integration of paleontology with both biological and geological research projects by taking advantage of new technologies and China’s rich paleontological resources.