Meemann Chang

Meemann Chang
Born 张弥曼
April 17, 1936
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Other names Zhang Miman, Mee-mann Chang
Nationality Chinese
Fields Vertebrate paleontology
Institutions Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Alma mater Moscow University and Stockholm University
Doctoral students Zhou Zhonghe
Other notable students Xiaobo Yu

Meemann Chang (Chinese: 张弥曼) is a Chinese paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP). She completed her undergraduate studies at Moscow University and completed her PhD thesis entitled 'The braincase of Youngolepis, a Lower Devonian crossopterygian from Yunnan, south-western China' at Stockholm University.[1] She was the first woman to become head of IVPP in 1983.[2] Later in 2011 she also received an honorary degree from the University of Chicago for her many career achievements.[1]

The extinct sarcopterygian fish Meemannia is named in her honour.[3] Also, the theropod dinosaur specific name Sinovenator changii is named in her honour.[4] There is also a unique organ of yunnanolepid antiarch placoderms named "Chang's Apparatus" after her.

There is also a special book volume on fossil fish published in her honour Morphology, Phylogeny and Paleobiogeography of Fossil Fishes, ISBN 0-786918-50-0.

Meemann notably first described[5] and later re-described[6] the fossil genus Paralycoptera, and also described the fossil genera Diabolepis[7] and Youngolepis.[8]

Selected Publications

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 http://english.ivpp.cas.cn/ns/es/201105/t20110513_69779.html
  2. Dalton, R. (2006). "Palaeontology: Hooked on fossils". Nature 439 (7074): 262–263. doi:10.1038/439262a. PMID 16421540.
  3. Zhu, M.; Yu, X.; Wang, W.; Zhao, W.; Jia, L. (2006). "A primitive fish provides key characters bearing on deep osteichthyan phylogeny". Nature 441 (7089): 77–80. doi:10.1038/nature04563. PMID 16672968.
  4. Xu, X.; Norell, M. A.; Wang, X. L.; Makovicky, P. J.; Wu, X. C. (2002). "A basal troodontid from the Early Cretaceous of China". Nature 415 (6873): 780–784. doi:10.1038/415780a. PMID 11845206.
  5. http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/On_Late_Mesozoic_fossil_fishes_from_Zhej.html?id=OL2HmQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
  6. Xu, G. H. I.; Chang, M. E. M. (2009). "Redescription of †Paralycoptera wuiChang & Chou, 1977 (Teleostei: Osteoglossoidei) from the Early Cretaceous of eastern China". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157: 83. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00532.x.
  7. Chang, M. & Yu, X. Structure and Phylogenetic significance of Diabolichthys speratus gen. et sp. nov.; a new Dipnoan-like from the lower Devonian of E. Yunnan; China. Journal of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, Sydney (1984)
  8. Chang, M. & Yu, X. B. (1981) A new crossopterygian, Youngolepis praecursor, gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Devonian of Eastern Yunnan, China. Scientia Sinica 24:89-97.

External links