Jump to content

Jingmai O'Connor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Jingmai K. O'Connor)
Dr. Jingmai K. O'Connor
Born (1983-08-26) August 26, 1983 (age 41)[1]
Los Angeles, California.
CitizenshipAmerican
Scientific career
FieldsPaleontology
Institutions
Thesis A Systematic Review of Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces)  (2009)
Doctoral advisorLuis M. Chiappe and Dr. David Bottjer
Websitepaleontologista.com

Jingmai Kathleen O'Connor (Chinese: 邹晶梅; born August 26, 1983) is a paleontologist who works as a curator at the Field Museum.[2][3][1]

Biography

[edit]

O'Connor is from Pasadena, California.[3] Her mother is a geologist.[4] O'Connor says that while she was not a dinosaur enthusiast as a child, being present for her mother's geology fieldwork began her interest in the subject.[4] She explains, "I enjoyed going to the field with her, collecting rocks, minerals, and fossils, and playing in the lab."[5]

O'Connor graduated from Occidental College after majoring in Geology and studying with Donald Prothero.[2] While a student, she volunteered in the paleontology department of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, working with Xiaoming Wang.[2] She received a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 2009, studying ancient birds with Luis M. Chiappe and David Bottjer.[2]

Paleontology

[edit]

After obtaining her Ph.D., O'Connor moved to Beijing where she worked as a postdoc at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology.[2] Working with Zhou Zhonghe, she advanced to a full professorship while continuing her ancient bird research.[2] Professor O'Connor is half Chinese and says that she is "very, very proud and fascinated by my Chinese culture" and found moving to China to pursue paleontology very rewarding.[4]

In 2011, O'Connor named a species of Qiliania, a Cretaceous-era bird that she discovered with a team, the Qiliania graffini after Greg Graffin.[3] Graffin is most well-known as the singer of the punk band Bad Religion and is also a professor of Evolutionary biology.[6]

During her time with the Institute, O'Connor was part of a team that made discoveries of extraordinary Enantiornithes remains preserved in Burmese amber. These deposits dated to 99 million years ago and the remains are among the most well-preserved of any Mesozoic dinosaur. The team found fully feathered wings, feet, and even entire hatchlings.[7][8][9] With the team, and also as first author, Prof. O'Connor has published findings showing that enantiornithines had fully modern feathers, clarified the feather arrangements and musculature of several species.[7][10]

O'Connor was given the Charles Schuchert Award by the Paleontological Society. The award is given annually to a person under 40 whose work reflects excellence and promise in the science of paleontology.[11]

In 2020, O'Connor returned to the United States, becoming the Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles at the Field Museum in Chicago.[2] She continues to publish, and in 2021 co-authored a paper on the discovery of quartz crystals in the stomach of an enantiornithine Bohaiornis.[5] She is also doing research within the Field's collection, studying the mysterious holes in the jaw of Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex.[12] She also assisted with the museum's acquisition of the thirteenth known Archaeopteryx specimen, which was announced in 2024, and will conduct further research with it.[13][14]

Below is a list of taxa that O'Connor has contributed to naming:

Year Taxon Authors
2024 Avisaurus darwini sp. nov. Clar, Atterholt, Scannella, Carroll, & O'Connor[15]
2024 Neobohaiornis lamadongensis gen. et sp. nov. Shen, Clark, Fang, Chen, Jiang, Ji, & O'Connor[16]
2022 Meemannavis ductrix gen. et sp. nov. O'Connor, Stidham, Harris, Lamanna, Bailleul, Hu, Wang, & You[17]
2022 Brevidentavis zhangi gen. et sp. nov. O'Connor, Stidham, Harris, Lamanna, Bailleul, Hu, Wang, & You[17]
2021 Fortipesavis prehendens gen. et sp. nov. Clark & O'Connor[18]
2020 Mengciusornis dentatus gen. et sp. nov. Wang, O'Connor, Zhou, & Zhou[19]
2019 Avimaia schweitzerae gen. et sp. nov. Bailleul, O'Connor, Zhang, Li, Wang, Lamanna, Zhu, & Zhou[20]
2018 Mirarce eatoni gen. et sp. nov. Atterholt, Hutchison, & O'Connor[21]
2017 Monoenantiornis sihedangia gen. et sp. nov. Hu & O'Connor[22]
2016 Dingavis longimaxilla gen. et sp. nov. O'Connor, Wang, & Hu[23]
2016 Feitianius paradisi gen. et sp. nov. O'Connor, Li, Lamanna, Wang, Harris, Atterholt, & You[24]
2016 Linyiornis amoena gen. et sp. nov. Wang, Wang, O'Connor, Wang, Zheng, & Zhang[25]
2015 Yi qi gen. et sp. nov. Xu, Zheng, Sullivan, Wang, Xing, Wang, Zhang, O'Connor, Zhang, & Pan[26]
2014 Eopengornis martini gen. et sp. nov. Wang, O'Connor, Zheng, Wang, Hu, & Zhou[27]
2013 Changmaornis houi gen. et sp. nov. Wang, O'Connor, Li, & You[28]
2013 Jiuquanornis niui gen. et sp. nov. Wang, O'Connor, Li, & You[28]
2013 Yumenornis huangi gen. et sp. nov. Wang, O'Connor, Li, & You[28]
2013 Sulcavis geeorum gen. et sp. nov. O'Connor, Zhang, Chiappe, Meng, Quangduo, & Di[29]
2012 Jeholornis palmapenis sp. nov. O'Connor, Sun, Xu, Wang, & Zhou[30]
2011 Qiliania graffinigen gen. et sp. nov. Ji, Atterholt, O'Connor, Lamanna, Harris, Li, You, & Dodson[31]
2010 Shenqiornis mengi gen. et sp. nov. Wang, O'Connor, Zhao, Chiappe, Gao, & Cheng[32]
2010 Longicrusavis houi gen. et sp. nov. O'Connor, Gao, & Chiappe[33]
2009 Shanweiniao cooperorum gen. et sp. nov. O'Connor, Wang, Chiappe, Gao, Meng, Cheng, & Liu[34]

Works

[edit]
  • When Dinosaurs Conquered the Skies: The Incredible Story of Bird Evolution (2022)

Further reading

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Jingmai Kathleen O'Connor 邹晶梅: CV". Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Staff Profile: Jingmai O'Connor, Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles". Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  3. ^ a b c Mahoney, Adam (2020-10-07). "Field Museum's new dinosaur curator known as 'punk rock' paleontologist". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  4. ^ a b c "Digging For Answers To Avians' Ancestors". Science Friday. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  5. ^ a b Gorey, Colm (22 February 2021). "Jingmai O'Connor: 'I think people imagine we spend far more time digging up fossils than we actually do'". Frontiers Science News. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  6. ^ Feinberg, Paul. "Reading, Writing and Rock 'n' Roll". UCLA Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Xing, Lida; McKellar, Ryan C.; Wang, Min; Bai, Ming; O’Connor, Jingmai K.; Benton, Michael J.; Zhang, Jianping; Wang, Yan; Tseng, Kuowei; Lockley, Martin G.; Li, Gang; Zhang, Weiwei; Xu, Xing (28 June 2016). "Mummified precocial bird wings in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber". Nature Communications. 7 (1): 12089. Bibcode:2016NatCo...712089X. doi:10.1038/ncomms12089. PMC 4931330. PMID 27352215.
  8. ^ Xing, Lida; McKellar, Ryan C.; O’Connor, Jingmai K.; Bai, Ming; Tseng, Kuowei; Chiappe, Luis M. (30 January 2019). "A fully feathered enantiornithine foot and wing fragment preserved in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 927. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9..927X. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-37427-4. PMC 6353931. PMID 30700773.
  9. ^ Xing, Lida; O'Connor, Jingmai K.; McKellar, Ryan C.; Chiappe, Luis M.; Tseng, Kuowei; Li, Gang; Bai, Ming (September 2017). "A mid-Cretaceous enantiornithine (Aves) hatchling preserved in Burmese amber with unusual plumage". Gondwana Research. 49: 264–277. Bibcode:2017GondR..49..264X. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2017.06.001.
  10. ^ O’Connor, Jingmai K.; Li, Da-Qing; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Wang, Min; Harris, Jerald D.; Atterholt, Jessie; You, Hai-Lu (30 December 2015). "A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine (Aves, Ornithothoraces) from northwestern China with elaborate tail ornamentation". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 36 (1): e1054035. Bibcode:2016JVPal..36E4035O. doi:10.1080/02724634.2015.1054035. S2CID 85800831.
  11. ^ "Past Awardees". Paleontological Society. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  12. ^ Esposito, Stefano (2021-03-10). "Shining a 'dino' light on a T. rex mystery". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  13. ^ "Meet the Chicago Archaeopteryx - Field Museum". www.fieldmuseum.org. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  14. ^ Tribune, Jennifer Day | Chicago (6 May 2024). "Field Museum has a new fossil of an avian dinosaur, unveiled at an event Monday". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  15. ^ Clark, Alexander D.; Atterholt, Jessie; Scannella, John B.; Carroll, Nathan; O’Connor, Jingmai K. (9 October 2024). Pinheiro, Felipe Lima (ed.). "New enantiornithine diversity in the Hell Creek Formation and the functional morphology of the avisaurid tarsometatarsus". PLoS One. 19 (10): e0310686. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0310686. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 11463745. PMID 39383133.
  16. ^ Shen, Caizhi; Clark, Alexander D.; Fang, Hui; Chen, Shaokun; Jiang, Hongxia; Ji, Qiang; O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen (28 December 2024). "A new diminutive species of bohaiornithid enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group, northern China". Scientific Reports. 14 (1): 31363. Bibcode:2024NatSR..1431363S. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-82869-8. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 11682239. PMID 39732957.
  17. ^ a b O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Stidham, Thomas A.; Harris, Jerald D.; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Bailleul, Alida M.; Hu, Han; Wang, Min; You, Hai‐Lu (September 2022). "Avian skulls represent a diverse ornithuromorph fauna from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation, Gansu Province, China". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 60 (5): 1172–1198. doi:10.1111/jse.12823. ISSN 1674-4918. Retrieved 5 February 2025 – via Wiley Online Library.
  18. ^ Clark, Alexander D.; O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen (15 June 2021). "Exploring the Ecomorphology of Two Cretaceous Enantiornithines With Unique Pedal Morphology". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9. doi:10.3389/fevo.2021.654156. ISSN 2296-701X.
  19. ^ Wang, Min; O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Zhou, Shuang; Zhou, Zhonghe (17 April 2020). "New toothed Early Cretaceous ornithuromorph bird reveals intraclade diversity in pattern of tooth loss". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (8): 631–645. Bibcode:2020JSPal..18..631W. doi:10.1080/14772019.2019.1682696. ISSN 1477-2019. Retrieved 3 February 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  20. ^ Bailleul, Alida M.; O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Zhang, Shukang; Li, Zhiheng; Wang, Qiang; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Zhu, Xufeng; Zhou, Zhonghe (20 March 2019). "An Early Cretaceous enantiornithine (Aves) preserving an unlaid egg and probable medullary bone". Nature Communications. 10 (1): 1275. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-09259-x. ISSN 2041-1723. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  21. ^ Atterholt, Jessie; Hutchison, J. Howard; O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen (13 November 2018). "The most complete enantiornithine from North America and a phylogenetic analysis of the Avisauridae". PeerJ. 6: e5910. doi:10.7717/peerj.5910. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 6238772. PMID 30479894.
  22. ^ Hu, Han; O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen (2 November 2017). "First species of Enantiornithes from Sihedang elucidates skeletal development in Early Cretaceous enantiornithines". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 15 (11): 909–926. Bibcode:2017JSPal..15..909H. doi:10.1080/14772019.2016.1246111. ISSN 1477-2019. Retrieved 1 February 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  23. ^ O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Wang, Min; Hu, Han (1 November 2016). "A new ornithuromorph (Aves) with an elongate rostrum from the Jehol Biota, and the early evolution of rostralization in birds". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 14 (11): 939–948. Bibcode:2016JSPal..14..939O. doi:10.1080/14772019.2015.1129518. ISSN 1477-2019. Retrieved 1 February 2025 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
  24. ^ O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Li, Da-Qing; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Wang, Min; Harris, Jerald D.; Atterholt, Jessie; You, Hai-Lu (2 January 2016). "A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine (Aves, Ornithothoraces) from northwestern China with elaborate tail ornamentation". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 36 (1): e1054035. Bibcode:2016JVPal..36E4035O. doi:10.1080/02724634.2015.1054035. ISSN 0272-4634. Retrieved 2 January 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  25. ^ Wang, Yan; Wang, Min; O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Wang, Xiaoli; Zheng, Xiaoting; Zhang, Xiaomei (11 January 2016). "A new Jehol enantiornithine bird with three-dimensional preservation and ovarian follicles". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 36 (2): e1054496. Bibcode:2016JVPal..36E4496W. doi:10.1080/02724634.2015.1054496. ISSN 0272-4634. Retrieved 4 January 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  26. ^ Xu, Xing; Zheng, Xiaoting; Sullivan, Corwin; Wang, Xiaoli; Xing, Lida; Wang, Yan; Zhang, Xiaomei; O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Zhang, Fucheng; Pan, Yanhong (29 April 2015). "A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran theropod with preserved evidence of membranous wings". Nature. 521 (7550): 70–73. Bibcode:2015Natur.521...70X. doi:10.1038/nature14423. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 25924069. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  27. ^ Wang, Xiaoli; O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Zheng, Xiaoting; Wang, Min; Hu, Han; Zhou, Zhonghe (18 October 2014). "Insights into the evolution of rachis dominated tail feathers from a new basal enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces): Eopengornis". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 113 (3): 805–819. doi:10.1111/bij.12313. Retrieved 6 February 2025 – via Oxford Academic.
  28. ^ a b c Wang, Ya-Ming; O'Connor, Jingmai K.; Li, Da-Qing; You, Hai-Lu (11 October 2013). Farke, Andrew A. (ed.). "Previously Unrecognized Ornithuromorph Bird Diversity in the Early Cretaceous Changma Basin, Gansu Province, Northwestern China". PLOS ONE. 8 (10): e77693. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0077693. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3795672. PMID 24147058.
  29. ^ O’Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Zhang, Yuguang; Chiappe, Luis M.; Meng, Qingjin; Quanguo, Li; Di, Liu (8 January 2013). "A new enantiornithine from the Yixian Formation with the first recognized avian enamel specialization". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (1): 1–12. Bibcode:2013JVPal..33....1O. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.719176. ISSN 0272-4634. Retrieved 2 February 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  30. ^ O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Sun, Chengkai; Xu, Xing; Wang, Xiaolin; Zhou, Zhonghe (February 2012). "A new species of Jeholornis with complete caudal integument". Historical Biology. 24 (1): 29–41. doi:10.1080/08912963.2011.552720. ISSN 0891-2963. Retrieved 6 February 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  31. ^ Ji, Shu-An; Atterholt, Jessie; O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Harris, Jerald D.; Li, Da-Qing; You, Hai-Lu; Dodson, Peter (20 April 2011). "A new, three-dimensionally preserved enantiornithine bird (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from Gansu Province, north-western China: NEW ENANTIORNITHIAN FROM GANSU". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 162 (1): 201–219. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00671.x. Retrieved 6 February 2025 – via Oxford Academic.
  32. ^ Wang, Xuri; O'Connor, Jingmai K.; Zhao, Bo; Chiappe, Luis M.; Gao, Chunling; Cheng, Xiaodong (22 March 2010). "New Species of Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Qiaotou Formation in Northern Hebei, China". Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. 84 (2): 247–256. Bibcode:2010AcGlS..84..247W. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00156.x. ISSN 1000-9515. Retrieved 2 February 2025 – via Wiley Online Library.
  33. ^ O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Gao, Ke-Qin; Chiappe, Luis María (24 March 2010). "A new ornithuromorph (Aves: Ornithothoraces) bird from the Jehol Group indicative of higher-level diversity". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (2): 311–321. doi:10.1080/02724631003617498. ISSN 0272-4634. Retrieved 5 February 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  34. ^ O'Connor, Jingmai Kathleen; Wang, Xuri; Chiappe, Luis María; Gao, Chunling; Meng, Qingjin; Cheng, Xiaodong; Liu, Jinyuan (12 March 2009). "Phylogenetic support for a specialized clade of Cretaceous enantiornithine birds with information from a new species". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (1): 188–204. Bibcode:2009JVPal..29..188O. doi:10.1080/02724634.2009.10010371. ISSN 0272-4634. Retrieved 3 January 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jingmai_O%27Connor&oldid=1274308731"