On October 26, on invitation from Herbarium of Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Dr. Chungkun Shih, Research Assistant from Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, and guest professor of Capital Normal University, came to CAF for academic communication.

On the seminar, Dr. Chungkun Shih made an academic report: “Associations of Insects with Plants, Other Insects and Vertebrates in Two Mid-Mesozoic Ecosystems of Northeast China”. The report introduced in detail the variety, origin and evolution of insects in Late Mesozoic stratum of  Northeast China. No doubt it has given a lot of useful information to the audience, especially on the co-evolution of insects and the associated plants. Dr. Chungkun Shih’s study provides us reliable materials as well as theories of geographical histories to explore further into the inter-relationship of creatures and environment.

After the report, Dr. Chungkun Shih and his company visited the Herbarium.

Dr. Chungkun Shih graduated from chemical engineering major of Tawai University in 1972, and got his MA and PhD of chemical engineering in University of Pennsylvania in 1975 and 1978. He also got an MA on operational research in University of Pennsylvania in 1978, and an MBA in Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1982. He has worked for Merck for 3 years, for Exxon Chemical for 17 years and Infineum for 11 years. His working experience in Jinzhou City, Liaoning made him strongly interested in entomolite and he began studying entomology. From 2004, Dr. Shih started his cooperation with the research team of insects evolution and environmental changes from Capital Normal University School of Life Sciences. In recent years he has published 2 books as first-author or co-author, and over 80 research articles including 1 on Science, 2 on PNAS, and 3 on Current Biology, etc.

More than 20 researchers and graduate students from the Forest Herbarium, Group of Natural Enemy Insects and Biological Pest Control and Group of Insect Ecology and Pest Management heard the report.