Zhou Mingzhen (; 9 November 1918 – 4 January 1996), also known as Minchen Chow, was a Chinese paleomammalogist and vertebrate paleontologist. He was an

academician An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. In syst ...

of the

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republ ...

, and a research professor for mammalian paleontology in the

Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP; ) of China is a research institution and collections repository for fossils, including many dinosaur and pterosaur specimens (many from the Yixian Formation). As its name suggest ...

(IVPP) in Beijing. He received the

Romer-Simpson Medal The Romer-Simpson Medal is the highest award issued by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology for "sustained and outstanding scholarly excellence and service to the discipline of vertebrate paleontology". The award is named in honor of Alfred S. Ro ...

in 1993.

Biography

Zhou was born in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, China, and graduated from

Chongqing University Chongqing University (CQU; , colloquially abbreviated as ChóngDà) is a public research university located in Chongqing, China. It is a National Key University directly funded by the central government of China as part of the Double First Class U ...

in Sichuan, in 1943. He received an MSc degree from the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

, in 1948, and a Ph.D. degree from

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epis ...

, in 1950. He became an associate professor at

Shandong University Shandong University (, abbreviated as Shanda, , English abbreviation SDU) is a public research comprehensive university in Jinan, Shandong with one campus in Weihai, Shandong and one campus in Qingdao, Shandong and is supported directly by the ...

, in 1952 and joined the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, where he remained until his death, in 1996. He was the Chinese leader of the "Sino-Soviet (Paleontological) Expedition" to northwestern China in 1959–1960. In 1979, Zhou became an honorary member of the

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) is a professional organization that was founded in the United States in 1940 to advance the science of vertebrate paleontology around the world. Mission and Activities SVP has about 2,300 members inter ...

(SVP). He became an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 1980 and in 1993 was awarded the SVP's

for "sustained and outstanding scholarly excellence and service to the discipline of vertebrate paleontology". He was an early and effective advocate of cladistic approaches to paleobiology in China, beginning in the early 1980s and promoted study abroad and academic training for young Chinese paleontologists, in the 1980s and 1990s.

Family

Zhou was married to Chai Meichen () and had two sons, Zhou Ximeng (周西蒙, born 1940) and Zhou Xiqin (). Zhou and his family were severely persecuted during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

. He underwent repeated struggle sessions and made several suicide attempts. His elder son Ximeng killed himself in 1968 after being denounced as a "counterrevolutionary". Chai Meichen suffered from depression and hanged herself in 1993.

References

*2009. ''Scientific Works of Zhou Mingzhen (Minchen Chow)'' -- refaced by Academician and Professor Zhanxiang QIU, with 141 papers of MMC, 1071 pp.* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhou, Mingzhen 1918 births 1996 deaths Biologists from Shanghai Chinese expatriates in the United States Chinese paleontologists Chongqing University alumni Chongqing University faculty Educators from Shanghai Lehigh University alumni Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Nankai University faculty Shandong University faculty University of Miami alumni Victims of the Cultural Revolution