KIZ located in one of the planet's most vibrant biological hotspots, here, groundbreaking research in primatology, evolutionary genetics, and biodiversity conservation isn't just theoretical. It's transforming how we understand health, sustain our planet, and innovate for the future.

Founded in April 1959, the Kunming Institute of Zoology, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a comprehensive research institution in China focusing on biodiversity evolution, conservation, and sustainable utilization.

The "Frontiers in Asian Herpetology" forum was held in Kunming, Yunnan, on 21–23 June 2026. Co‑hosted by KIZ and partner institutions, it brought together over 50 researchers from China and seven other countries. Scientific sessions covered evolution, biogeography, conservation genomics, and behavioural adaptation. The forum fostered international exchange and laid a foundation for cross‑disciplinary collaboration in Asian herpetology.

DOI:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.70603 Schematic diagram of the mechanism by which LINC01021 promotes cellular and individual aging.

The lamprey occupies a pivotal position for elucidating vertebrate brain evolution. Using spatial transcriptomics and single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we generated a three-dimensional molecular atlas of the lamprey brain, identifying 209 distinct cell clusters across 14 regions. Cross-species comparisons revealed broad conservation of regional spatial architecture, defining an ancestral organizational blueprint. Within this conserved framework, however, marked lineage-specific divergence emerged. We observed extensive neuronal specialization across vertebrate lineages, accompanied by regulatory shifts associated with spatial reorganization and functional diversification of neuronal populations. Additionally, our results suggest that a cerebellum-like architecture predates the jawed vertebrate cerebellum. Together, these findings identified constraints on neural organization and detected cellular innovations driving evolutionary diversification.