和恐龙对话的科学家们：恐龙并没有完全绝灭

Core Points - The 2025 Future Science Prize awarded the Life Science Prize to paleontologists for their discovery of fossil evidence linking birds to dinosaurs, highlighting the ongoing evolution of species [1][3][9] - The prize aims to promote awareness of evolutionary biology and correct misconceptions about dinosaurs being entirely extinct [3][11] Group 1: Award and Recognition - The Future Science Prize, often referred to as "China's Nobel Prize," was established in 2016 to recognize outstanding scientific achievements in basic research [7] - The Life Science Prize, part of the Future Science Prize, has a monetary award equivalent to 1 million USD and has recognized 46 scientists over the past decade [7] Group 2: Research Contributions - The awarded paleontologists, including Ji Qiang, Xu Xing, and Zhou Zhonghe, have demonstrated that a lineage of small carnivorous dinosaurs evolved feathers and wings, leading to modern birds [3][9] - Their work has transformed the hypothesis that birds originated from dinosaurs into a widely accepted scientific theory, reshaping human understanding of dinosaurs [11][12] Group 3: Field Research and Discoveries - The paleontologists emphasize the importance of fieldwork in paleontology, often working in challenging environments to discover significant fossils [5][6] - Notable discoveries include the first feathered non-avian dinosaur fossils reported by Ji Qiang and Chen Peiji, which initiated a series of findings linking feathers to dinosaurs [10][11]