EARLY RESEARCH OF PALEOZOIC AGNATHANS AND FISHES: THE STUDIES OF STEPAN SEMYONOVICH KUTORGA (1805-1861)

Agnathans and fishes with massive bone armors were widely spread among the vertebrates in the Early Paleozoic. Their remains were well preserved in fossil state. At present, many species of Devonian agnathans and fishes have been described and studied. Different taxonomic systems have been suggested based on their fossil exoskeletal elements. But in the first part of the nineteenth century, when scientists first came across such remains, their nature was not immediately understood. Discovered remains of armored ichthyofauna were identified as bones of reptiles and amphibians even by outstanding scientists of that time. Professor of the Imperial St. Petersburg University Stepan Semyonovich Kutorga was among them. This article supplies a brief biography of the scientist and an analysis of his works in the formative period of vertebrate paleontology in Russia. S. S. Kutorga was at the origin of the system of monographic descriptions and collections - the most important source of information in fundamental paleontological research. Kutorga’s collection, currently stored at the St. Petersburg State University, is the first monographic collection of Devonian ichthyofauna in our country.

Science with Boundaries: Yang Zhongjian and Vertebrate Paleontology in Republican China, 1919–1950

The rapid development of paleontology–especially vertebrate paleontology and dinosaurology–has made ‘Chinese Paleontology’ an important subfield of paleontology since the 1990s, resulting in China becoming a powerhouse of paleontological research. This chapter focuses on YANG Zhongjiang (1897–1979), often celebrated as the father of Chinese vertebrate paleontology, to examine how the field of his specialty was established and developed as a scientific discipline in his country. It traces Yang’s early academic experience from a geology major at Peking University in the early 1920s to his graduate years in Germany under the famous paleontologist Ferdinand Broili. Yang’s professional study and training was strengthened by his rich field experience after returning to China in the late 1920s. He participated not only in the joint Sino-American Central Asiatic Expedition to Mongolia in 1930, but also in the extensive excavation project of the Peking Man fossils conducted by the Cenozoic Research Laboratory. His more independent work took place during the Second Sino-Japanese War, when he discovered, studied, and constructed China’s first complete dinosaur fossils (the Lufengosaurus). Besides describing the making of a professional paleontologist in China in the first half of the 20th century, this chapter also illuminates questions that are intrinsic to the development of scientific disciplines at a time when the rise of Chinese nationalism intersected with scientific internationalism and imperialism. How did the academic practice of paleontology reflect unequal political realities? Is paleontology a ‘local science’? Could the endeavor for ‘local science’ empower scientists from developing nations?

An alternative perspective for acquisitions of amber from Myanmar including recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council

Recent publications have been actively recommending strong embargos on Burmese amber trade and research. Although the motivation of these actions seeks to prevent armed groups from obtaining capital via amber trade, which in the views of the authors helps further fueling the armed conflict, here, I demonstrate that this claim is not accurate. In this analysis, I prove that these preventative actions undertaken by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and echoed by others do not resolve the situation in Burma, but on the contrary, aggravate the problem by negatively affecting the Burmese miners. My analysis is congruent with other independent analyses of the Burmese Amber trade. In line with the recommendation of the United Nations, and as an alternative approach, it is possible to support the amber economy that is in opposition to the Burmese military and help the Burmese scientific community to increase their capability and knowledge to engage in a niche market that is largely not accessible to unethical players. This would lead to a sourcing of research material that fulfills the demand of the international scientific community for ethical standards.

THE SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY’S PUBLICATION POLICY IS INCONSISTENT WITH SCIENTIFIC EPISTEMOLOGY

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology has urged scientific journals to reject studies that use data from privately owned fossil collections. Here, I argue that the Society’s perspective on reproducibility in science is overly simplistic. Their suggested publication policy, at best, slows the progress of science and, at worst, permits scientific misconduct through a form of data falsification and provides a potential mechanism to bully and censor researchers. The best way to ensure the long-term survival of fossil data is to collect and publish the data while the specimens are available.

International Palaeoentomological Society Statement

Following a mailbox of comments concerning a letter sent by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology to journal editors on “Fossils from conflict zones...” dated 21 April 2020 calling for a ban on publications on Burmese amber, it was felt necessary to air some concerns raised for further discussion.