From June 21 to 23, 2026, the "Frontiers in Asian Herpetology: Wondrous Life in a Changing World" forum was held in Kunming, Yunnan. The event was co-hosted by the State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models at KIZ, the Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute of CAS, and the Chinese Herpetological Branch of the China Zoological Society.

CAS Member Zhang Yaping attended the opening ceremony, and KIZ Director Shi Peng delivered the opening address, welcoming the delegates and emphasizing Yunnan's unique biodiversity and evolutionary significance. He called for strengthened cross-disciplinary and transnational collaboration to advance herpetological research, conservation, and international partnerships in the face of climate change, species loss, and health challenges. The opening ceremony was moderated by KIZ researcher Che Jing.

The forum brought together over 50 experts, young scholars, and students from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Vietnam, Nepal, Kenya, and Nigeria. International participants came from institutions including the University of California (UC), Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, the University of Kansas, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and Tel Aviv University, while domestic attendees represented KIZ, Yunnan University, and other research institutions and universities.

The scientific program included invited plenary talks, thematic themed sessions, and poster presentations. The iInvited talks addressed frontier topics including the evolutionary mechanisms of underlying species diversity evolution, island and montane biogeography in Southeast Asia, conservation genomics of endangered species, and behavioral evolution. Speakers shared the latest research findings and engaged in in-depth discussions on key issues including the drivers of species diversification in complex ecosystems, genomic evolution and conservation strategies for endangered species, and the genetic basis of specialized behavioral traits. Thematic sessions focused on "Asian herpetofaunal evolution and conservation" and "color-based sexual selection and speciation mechanisms." In the poster session, young scholars and students presented their research progress on cryptic species diversity, phylogeographic patterns, behavioral and ecological adaptation and conservation, and evolutionary developmental biology. The forum featured a strong academic atmosphere, and team members engaged in extensive discussions with participating international experts.behavioral adaptation, and evolutionary developmental biology.

During the forum, international guests visited KIZ's key research and resource platforms, including the State Key Laboratory, the Yunnan Key Laboratory, the Animal Germplasm Genetic Resource Division Bank of the Southwest China Wildlife Germplasm Resource Bank, and the Kunming Natural History Museum of ZoologyKunming Animal Museum. The visitors gained a deeper understanding of the institute's research infrastructure and China's recent progress in biodiversity conservation and basic life science research. The forum established a platform for international exchange and laid the groundwork for future cross-regional and cross-disciplinary collaboration in herpetological research.

Forum on Asian Herpetology