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古植物学的故事（5）：徐仁与中国古植物学的兴起
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古植物学的故事（5）：徐仁与中国古植物学的兴起
发表于 2009-8-29 22:52:50
古植物学；徐仁；中国古植物学；兴起
The rise of Chinese palaeobotany emphasizing the global context
-----Development of biological approach on Chinese palaeobotany (by Qigao Sun)
Palaeobotany as a biological subject was not widespread in China during the last century, although the development of a biological approach on Chinese palaeobotany did begin in the 1940s. Hsü Jen (Xu Ren, 1910–1992) is a Chinese palaeobotanist, who preferred to use biological approach to work on fossil plants.
Fig.5. Hsü Jen (Xu Ren, 1910–1992) (Courtesy Zhu-sheng Xu)
Hsü Jen’s education and career was greatly influenced by Chang C.Y. (Zhang Jing–Yue, 1895–1975) and Birbal Sahni (1891–1949). The former is a pioneer of plant morphology and anatomy in China who studied botany in the USA and worked in Europe (Compiling Committee of Chang Ching–Yue’s Works 1995). The latter is an Indian palaeobotanist, who studied palaeobotany in Britain and was the 5th Indian to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in Britain (Sitholey, 1950).
Hsü Jen entered Tsinghua University because he admired his uncle, Professor C.Y. Chang who was a Tsinghua graduate (1916–1920). Chang went to the USA to study botany in 1920 and he began his study with C.J. Chamberlain in the Botany Department of Chicago University in 1922. Chang was very interested in palaeobotany although he majored in botany. In 1924 he wrote an article about the latest discovery of coal balls in the United States and introduced it to the Chinese scientific community (Chang, 1924). Chang got his Ph.D. degree in 1925 and afterwards returned to China to engage in plant morphology and anatomy (Compiling Committee of Chang Ching–Yue’s Works, 1995). However Chang still worked on the anatomy of fossil wood (Chang, 1929). After Chang’s suggestion Hsü Jen went to Tsinghua University to study botany in 1929. Hsü learnt about fossil plants and had instilled in him a deep interest in palaeobotany during his sophomore (2nd) year. After Hsü graduated from Tsinghua University in 1933, he joined Peking University and worked as an assistant with Professor C.Y. Chang. Under his uncle’s guidance, he employed methods of plant morphology and anatomy to study fossil plants (Hsü, 2000). Chang had hoped that Hsü would study palaeobotany with J. Walton in the University of Glasgow, but Hsü failed to visit Britain because of financial difficulty during the Second World War. In 1944 Chang recommended that Hsü go to Lucknow University in India to study palaeobotany with Birbal Sahni (Chen et al., 1994). In 1946 Hsü got his Ph.D. degree from Lucknow University and returned to Peking University to teach palaeobotany. In 1948 Hsü was invited by Birbal Sahni a second time to India to participate in the foundation of Birbal Sahni’s Institute of Palaeobotany. Here Hsü met Thomas Harris in December 1949 when Harris came to the Institute as adviser for two months (Sitholey, 1953). In 1950 Hsü visited Sweden and attended the 7th International Botanical Congress in Stockholm where he met many palaeobotanists from all over the world. At the congress he gave two talks about “Devonian spores from Yunnann, China” and “New information on Homoxylon rajmahalense Sahni.” After his visit to Sweden, Hsü paid a short visit to Britain. At the end of the 1950 Lee H.T. invited Hsü to go back to serve New China. In the summer of 1952 Hsu returned to China and maintained a biological approach to research of fossil plants. Hsü’s efforts changed to some degree, the face of Chinese palaeobotany in the second half of the 20th century.
[节选自：Sun Q.G., 2005. The rise of Chinese palaeobotany emphasizing the global context.
In: Bowden, A.J., Burek, C.V. & Wilding, R. (eds) History of Palaeobotany: Selected Essay. London: Geological Society, Special Publications, 241:293-298 ]
In: Bowden, A.J., Burek, C.V. & Wilding, R. (eds) History of Palaeobotany: Selected Essay. London: Geological Society, Special Publications, 241:293-298 ]
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