Dr Zixiao Yang - Ask a Palaeontologist

24 Apr 2023

This month we chat to Dr Zixiao Yang, Postdoctoral Researcher at University College Cork

• Name: Dr Zixiao Yang
• Job: Postdoctoral Researcher
• Location: University College Cork

What inspired you to become a scientist? 

I had read a ton of “unsolved mysteries” when I was little - UFO stories, weird geological/archaeological findings (e.g., shoe prints from the Carboniferous), mysterious monsters (e.g., the Loch Ness Monster and the Tianchi Monster)... Most of the stories turned out to be completely made-up, but I guess I got hooked on the rush in finding and understanding weird stuff in nature.

What inspired you to become a palaeontologist?

I was born in Nanyang (Henan Province, China), a small town but apparently a popular nesting site for dinosaurs. The incredibly abundant dinosaur egg fossils discovered in this region have made it one of the richest dinosaur egg sites in the world - many people I know have or once had their very own dinosaur eggs at home! So growing up in Nanyang, I was no stranger to dinosaurs which may have ultimately nudged me into palaeontology.

Describe your work/job.

As a postdoctoral researcher my work is centred on research activities. I am currently studying the evolution of skin and feathers by looking at some amazing dinosaur and pterosaur fossils from China. This involves old-fashioned microscopic work as well as a bit more high-tech, SEM and FTIR analyses, to understand the preserved skin structures, and then running phylogenetic analyses to understand how these structures may have evolved through time. I am also conducting fossilization experiments on modern skin tissues to understand how skin could turn into fossils.

What’s the best part of your job?

I know this is perhaps cheesy but I still think the best part is being able to work on dinosaurs and pterosaurs! I feel I am among the luckiest ones that can honestly say “I get to do this” rather than “I have to do this”.

What other jobs have you done?

I haven’t done any other jobs. My life so far has been a straight arrow – going through primary, secondary and high schools, university and finally here taking my first job as a postdoc.

What were your favourite subjects at school?

Chemistry and biology.

Where did you study geoscience/palaeontology?

Nanjing University.

What hobbies do you have outside of palaeontology?

I love movies and playing some video games.

What is your favourite fossil?

It has to be the anurognathid pterosaur Cascocauda rong, which is named by me and my colleagues in 2022. It looks just like the Night Fury but is fluffy and tiny enough to fit in your palm!

What’s your favourite place that you have travelled to study palaeontology?

I used to go to northeastern China for field work every year. This region hosts many fossil localities of the famous Mesozoic Yanliao and Jehol biotas, yielding thousands of feathered dinosaurs, pterosaurs and early mammals, among others. These fossils are often exceptionally preserved, meaning that not just the bony parts but many soft, fleshy parts got preserved. So without a doubt this is my favourite spot to study palaeontology.

Why is it important for us to study palaeontology?

Palaeontology is relevant to everyone in many time scales. For instance, we need petrol and petrol-related products on a daily basis; numerous environmental changes and biological responses documented in the fossil record inform us about the potential outcomes of climatic changes in the coming years; understanding how life has originated and evolved on earth facilitates searches for extraterrestrial life and habitable planets that could be key to the survival of human civilization in the far future.

What advice would you give to somebody interested in becoming a palaeontologist?

From a practical point of view, being a palaeontologist is not the best paid job in the world and it often involves a lot of traveling, both short-term and long-term ones. So unless you are really into palaeontology and have supports from your loved ones, I would suggest to give it another thought. Otherwise, hop on board!

Zixiao online

• Follow Zixiao on Twitter - @ZixiaoYang_Dino