A certificate names Ma Xiaoya, a researcher working at Yunnan Key Laboratory for Paleontology of Yunnan University (YNU), with the Hodson Award from the Palaeontological Association. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Ma Xiaoya, a researcher working at Yunnan Key Laboratory for Paleontology of Yunnan University (YNU), was presented with the Hodson Award by the Palaeontological Association to honor her notable contribution to paleontology, on Dec 16. 

The award was presented at the association’s 62nd annual conference which was held in the United Kingdom from Dec 14 to 17. 

During the conference, Derek Siveter, a professor of paleontology at Oxford University, was granted the Lapworth Medal, a lifetime achievement award in paleontology, by the Palaeontological Association. 

Professor Siveter is a visiting professor at YNU and a research partner of YNU’s Yunnan Key Laboratory for Paleontology. Over the past 30 years, he has made significant contributions to the research of the biota fossils unearthed in Chengjiang county, Yunnan province and in the application to add the fossils to the list of World Heritage Sites. 

The Palaeontological Association is a world-leading academic body in paleontological research. Its Hodson Award is designed to honor young paleontologists who have made a valuable contribution to the discipline, with just one scholar in the world fortunate enough to win the award each year.

Ma Xiaoya is the first paleontologist in Asia to have won the Hodson Award since it was set up in 2001.