分类： science

In a groundbreaking discovery, 52 giant panda fossils have been unearthed in the Shuanghe Cave network, located in Suiyang county, Guizhou province, Southwest China. This remarkable find, announced during a press conference on the results of the 24th International Cave Science Expedition, establishes Shuanghe Cave as the site with the largest concentration of giant panda fossils globally. The fossils, including six newly uncovered specimens, provide critical insights into the species’ evolutionary journey over the past 100,000 years. According to Wang Deyuan, an associate research fellow at the Guizhou Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Mountain Resources, the fossils represent a relatively continuous chronological sequence, with teeth analysis indicating that most of the pandas were subadult or new adult individuals. The discovery also includes numerous limb bones and skulls, enabling researchers to study changes in the species’ body weight over time. Findings suggest that giant pandas reached their peak body weight during the Middle Pleistocene, after which it gradually decreased to present-day levels. Shuanghe Cave, spanning 439.7 kilometers, is not only the longest cave in Asia but also the third-longest in the world. Since the late 1980s, it has been the focus of 24 international joint scientific expeditions, cementing its status as a hub for paleontological and geological research.

A significant strontium ore deposit has been unearthed in Lishui district, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, marking a major breakthrough in mineral exploration. The Geological Survey of Jiangsu Province revealed that the deposit contains an estimated 545,000 metric tons of ore and 265,000 tons of minerals, with an impressive average grade of 48.65 percent. Strontium, a critical rare metal, plays a pivotal role in advanced technologies, particularly in the production of special ceramics and magnetic alloys. Its compounds enhance dielectric properties and mechanical strength in ceramics, while improving the performance of magnetic alloys used in high-end electronic devices. Recognized as a Critical Raw Material by the European Commission in 2020, strontium’s discovery holds immense strategic and economic value. Professor Tan Hongbing from Hohai University emphasized the deposit’s significance, noting its high grade and substantial reserves, which make it highly viable for mining. He also highlighted its potential to guide future exploration efforts, given its relatively shallow depth of less than one kilometer. Jiangsu Province has long been a hub for strontium mining, with a history dating back to the 1960s. The new discovery, located in the Lishui volcanic basin near Aijing Mountain, complements earlier findings in Houfang village, solidifying the region’s status as a key strontium-bearing zone. Over four years, the Geological Survey meticulously mapped the basin, overcoming challenges posed by dense human activity. Their research identified five concealed strontium ore bodies in the Mashantou area, along with deposits of copper, lead-zinc, and pyrite. This breakthrough has led to the proposal of a new exploration strategy for polymetallic resources, offering fresh insights into the geological processes governing strontium and related minerals. The discovery not only reinforces China’s dominance in strontium mining, accounting for over 60 percent of global reserves, but also promises to bolster the nation’s high-tech industries, ensuring a steady supply of this critical resource.

A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from Lanzhou University in China and the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States has unveiled that light competition plays a pivotal role in the loss of plant diversity caused by eutrophication. Published in the journal *Global Change Biology*, the research provides critical insights into the mechanisms driving biodiversity decline and offers potential strategies for ecosystem preservation. Eutrophication, characterized by excessive nutrient accumulation, has long been recognized as a major threat to plant diversity. However, the direct impact of light limitation under eutrophication conditions had not been thoroughly investigated until now. The study, led by Professor He Jinsheng of Lanzhou University, focused on alpine grasslands in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a region renowned for its rich species diversity. Over three years (2021–2023), the team conducted field experiments using full-spectrum LED light strips to simulate additional light and introduced varying levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, or both. The findings revealed that supplementary light could restore lost plant diversity across all nutrient scenarios. Under nitrogen enrichment, light addition primarily promoted species gains, while under phosphorus enrichment, it reduced species losses. When both nutrients were enriched, light addition simultaneously increased species gains and minimized losses. These effects were driven by shifts in the colonization and extinction patterns of resource-acquisitive plant species. Professor He emphasized that managing light availability could mitigate plant diversity loss in natural ecosystems. The study also suggested that practices like moderate grazing or regular mowing could improve light conditions, thereby supporting biodiversity and sustainability.

In a groundbreaking discovery, Chinese scientists have identified a new species of snake in the West China Rain Zone, a region renowned for its rich biodiversity. The species, named the western China mountain snake (Plagiopholis pluvialis), was found in the Giant Panda National Park’s Chengdu segment and the lush forests of Mount Emei in Sichuan province. This marks the first new species within the Plagiopholis genus to be discovered in nearly a century. The findings were published in the esteemed international journal Zoosystematics and Evolution in September 2025. The research, conducted by teams from the Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Qinghai University, among others, spanned from 2020 to 2025. The non-venomous snakes, measuring approximately 80 centimeters in length, exhibit diurnal behavior and primarily feed on earthworms and slugs. A distinctive inverted V-shaped pattern on their necks sets them apart from other species. The West China Rain Zone, with an average annual precipitation of 2,000 millimeters, is a critical area for biological evolution. This discovery underscores the scientific importance of the region and highlights the Giant Panda National Park’s pivotal role in biodiversity conservation.

China is on the brink of another significant milestone in its space exploration endeavors as the Shenzhou XXI crewed spaceship prepares for launch. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on October 24, 2025, that the spacecraft, paired with a Long March 2F carrier rocket, has been successfully transferred to the launching area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. All systems and equipment at the site are reported to be functioning optimally, with pre-launch checks and joint tests proceeding as scheduled. The exact launch time will be determined based on favorable conditions in the near future. This mission underscores China’s growing capabilities in manned spaceflight and its commitment to advancing space exploration. The Shenzhou XXI mission is expected to contribute to China’s broader goals in space science and technology, further solidifying its position as a key player in the global space race.

In a pivotal address at the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) press conference in Beijing, Yin Hejun, Minister of Science and Technology, underscored the indispensable role of scientific and technological modernization in propelling China’s progress. Speaking on October 24, 2025, at a briefing organized by the CPC Central Committee, Yin outlined a comprehensive strategy to elevate China’s innovation capabilities and foster breakthroughs in core technologies. He emphasized the necessity of advancing original innovation and achieving critical technological milestones in key sectors such as integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, and high-end instruments. Yin proposed the establishment of a new national system to mobilize resources effectively, ensuring decisive progress across the entire technological chain. Additionally, he called for prioritizing national strategic needs through the deployment of major scientific and technological tasks, alongside enhancing the strategic and systematic layout of basic research. Yin also highlighted the importance of integrating scientific and technological innovation with industrial development, advocating for stronger enterprise leadership in innovation consortia and increased support for high-tech and small-to-medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, he stressed the need for the integrated development of education, science, technology, and talent, aiming to align these sectors with national strategy. Yin also emphasized the construction of a Digital China, promoting the deep integration of the real economy with the digital economy and accelerating innovations in artificial intelligence. Strengthening the supply of computing power, algorithms, and data, along with implementing the ‘AI Plus’ initiative, were also key points in his vision for comprehensive industrial empowerment.

In a landmark development at the 20th Annual Meeting of the International Conference on Genomics (ICG-20) in Hangzhou, BGI-Research and Zhejiang Lab unveiled Genos, an open-source Human-Centric genomic foundation model. This cutting-edge innovation, designed to operate at single-nucleotide precision across ultra-long DNA sequences, leverages high-quality human genomes from diverse global ancestries. Genos promises transformative applications across multiple domains, including public health, developmental biology, and scientific research. In public health, it enhances disease monitoring and informs targeted preventive measures. In developmental biology, it sheds light on gene regulation in tissue and organ formation. For scientific research, it predicts RNA expression from DNA sequences in seconds, a process that previously took weeks or months. Integrated into BGI’s DCS Cloud and the CNGB database, Genos empowers researchers to forecast cell expression levels, identify key candidate genes, and accelerate discoveries. Clinically, it collaborates with BGI’s GeneT deep reasoning model to diagnose genetic diseases, while in personal health, it generates personalized genomic reports via BGI’s BGE platform. The development of Genos was spearheaded by a cross-disciplinary team from the Foundation Model Training Program, a joint initiative by BGI-Research and Zhejiang Lab. This program united bioinformatics experts and computing specialists, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration that is driving life science research from data mining toward emergent intelligence.

The Joint Weed Science Society Congress convened in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, this week, bringing together over 600 experts and scholars from 42 countries and regions. The event, co-hosted by the Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Nanjing Agricultural University, featured the 9th International Weed Science Congress, the 29th Asian Pacific Weed Science Conference, and the 17th China Weed Science Conference. The congress aimed to share research progress and explore future developments in global weed science. Weeds pose a significant threat to agricultural production and ecological security, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimating that weeds cause 10 to 15 percent of global crop yield losses annually. In China, the grain-planting area reached 119 million hectares in 2024, with weed occurrence covering nearly 100 million hectares, leading to annual economic losses exceeding 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion). Experts highlighted the challenges of weed proliferation, widespread herbicide resistance, and frequent chemical damage incidents, emphasizing the need for technological innovation to ensure global food and ecological security. The conference, themed ‘New Technology Leads the Way of Weed Science,’ showcased advances in weed biology, molecular mechanisms, intelligent identification, resistance management, and green control technologies. Delegates visited demonstration sites showcasing China’s latest research and applications in weed management and discussed the impact of climate change on weed disasters and integrated control strategies, proposing targeted recommendations.