Evolution of early vertebrates, especially the morphology, histology, and cladistics of early osteichthyes, as well as the macroevolution of chondrichthyes based on big data.

2016.09–2022.01

 PhD in Paleontology and Stratigraphy. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Supervisor: Professor Min Zhu.

Thesis Title: Scale morphology, histology and morphogenesis of several species of crown Gnathostome Silurian and Devonian of Yunnan.

2012.09–2016.06

 Bachelor in Geology. China University of Geosciences.

Supervisor: Professors Min Zhu and Xulong Lai.

Thesis Title: Scale morphology and squamation pattern of Guiyu oneiros from late Silurian of Yunnan, China.

2019.12–2020.12

 Visiting Student of Museum of Paleontology and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan.

Supervisor: Professor Matt Friedman.

   

2025.10–Present

 Associate Researcher

Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

2024.06–2025.09

 Associate Researcher, Postdoctor

School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University

Supervisor: Professor Yuanlin Sun.

2022.06–2024.05

 Boya Postdoctor

School of Earth and Space Science, Peking University

Supervisor: Professor Yuanlin Sun.

   

2025.10–Present

 Associate Researcher

Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

2024.06–2025.09

 Associate Researcher, Postdoctor

School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University

Supervisor: Professor Yuanlin Sun.

2022.06–2024.05

 Boya Postdoctor

School of Earth and Space Science, Peking University

Supervisor: Professor Yuanlin Sun.

   

1.      Xindong Cui, Matt Friedman, Yilun Yu, You-an Zhu, Min Zhu*. Bony-fish-like scales in a Silurian maxillate placoderm. Nature Communications, 2023, 14(7622): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43557-9.

2.      Xindong Cui, Matt Friedman, Tuo Qiao, Yilun Yu, Min Zhu*. The rapid evolution of lungfish durophagy. Nature Communications, 2022, 13(2390): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30091-3.

3.     Tuo Qiao, Xindong Cui, Wenjin Zhao, Chengxi Liu, Maokun Li, Jing Lu, Brian Choo, Min Zhu*. A new fossil fish sheds light on the rapid evolution of early lungfishes. Current Biology, 2026, 36(1): 243–251. (Co-first author).

4.     Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao, Lijian Peng, Min Zhu*. New material of the Early Devonian sarcopterygian Styloichthys changae illuminates the origin of cosmine. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2025, 23 (1): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2024.2432273.

5.     Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao, Min Zhu*. Scale morphology and squamation pattern of Guiyu oneiros provide new insights into early osteichthyan body plan. Scientific Reports, 2019, 9(1): 4411 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40845-7.

6.      Xindong Cui, Qingming Qu, Plamen S. Andreev, Qiang Li, Huijuan Mai, Min Zhu*. Modeling scale morphogenesis in a Devonian chondrichthyan and scale growth patterns in crown gnathostomes. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2021, 41(2): https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2021.1930018.

7.     Xindong Cui, Qiang Li, Tuo Qiao, Min Zhu*. New material of thelodonts from Lochkovian (Lower Devonian) of

Qujing, Yunnan, China, Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 2020, 58(1): 1–15.

8.      Emily M. Troyer*, Rafael A. Rivero-Vega*, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu, et al. Macroevolutionary role reversals in the earliest radiation of bony fishes, Current Biology, 2025, 35(19): 4631–4641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.08.008

9.     Maokun Li, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu*, Tuo Qiao*. Sarcopterygians from the Lochkovian (Lower Devonian) of Nanning, Guangxi, China, Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 63(1): 1–19.

10. Chang Lu, Xindong Cui, Jun Chen, Zexian Cui, Min Zhu, Yigang Xu*. Devonian sea surface temperature and paleoecology changes constrained by in situ oxygen isotopes of fish fossils. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2024, 639(112059): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112059

11. Qiang Li, Xindong Cui, Plamen Stanislavov Andreev, Wenjin Zha, Jianhua Wang, Lijian Peng, Min Zhu*. Nostolepis scale remains (stem Chondrichthyes) from the Lower Devonian of Qujing, Yunnan, China. PeerJ, 2021, 9: e11093 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11093.

12. Yemao Hou, Xindong Cui, Mario Canul-Ku, Shichao Jin, Rogelio Hasimoto-Beltran, Qinghua Guo, Min Zhu*. ADMorph: A 3D Digital Microfossil Morphology Dataset for Deep Learning. IEEE Access, 2020, 8: 148744–148756.

13. Yanchao Luo, Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao, Min Zhu*. A new dipnoan genus from the Middle Devonian of Huize, Yunnan, China. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2022, 19(18): 1303–1315.

14. Yemao Hou, Mario Canul-Ku, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu*. Super-resolution reconstruction of vertebrate microfossil computed tomography images based on deep learning. X-Ray Spectrometry. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/xrs.3389.

15. Wen Wen*, Qiyue Zhang, Jürgen Kriwet, Shixue Hu, Changyong Zhou, Jinyuan Huang, Xindong Cui, Xiao Min, Michael J Benton*. First occurrence of hybodontid teeth in the Luoping Biota (Middle Triassic, Anisian) and recovery of the marine ecosystem after the end-Permian mass extinction Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2023, 617(111471): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111471.

16. Tong Jia, Cunfeng Wei, Min Zhu, Rongjian Shi, Zhe Wang, Xindong Cui, Baodong Liu*. The multi-scale fusion reconstruction algorithm of CT and CL. Physica Scripta, 2023, 98(10): 105114.

17. Yemao Hou, Mario Canul-Ku, Xindong Cui, Rogelio Hasimoto-Beltran*, Min Zhu*. Semantic segmentation of vertebrate microfossils from computed tomography data using a deep learning approach. Journal of Micropalaeontology. 2021, 40(2): 163–173.

18. Plamen S. Andreev#*, Wenjin Zhao#, Nianzhong Wang, Moya M. Smith, Qiang Li, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu*, Ivan J. Sansom. Early Silurian chondrichthyans from the Tarim Basin (Xinjiang, China), PLoS ONE, 2020, 15(2): e0228589.

19. Wenjin Zhao*, Min Zhu, Zhikun Gai, Zhaohui Pan, Xindong Cui, Jiachen Cai. A review of Silurian fishes from north-western Hunan, China and related biostratigraphy. Acta Geologica Polonica, 2018, 68(3), 475–486.

   

1.      Xindong Cui, Matt Friedman, Yilun Yu, You-an Zhu, Min Zhu*. Bony-fish-like scales in a Silurian maxillate placoderm. Nature Communications, 2023, 14(7622): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43557-9.

2.      Xindong Cui, Matt Friedman, Tuo Qiao, Yilun Yu, Min Zhu*. The rapid evolution of lungfish durophagy. Nature Communications, 2022, 13(2390): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30091-3.

3.     Tuo Qiao, Xindong Cui, Wenjin Zhao, Chengxi Liu, Maokun Li, Jing Lu, Brian Choo, Min Zhu*. A new fossil fish sheds light on the rapid evolution of early lungfishes. Current Biology, 2026, 36(1): 243–251. (Co-first author).

4.     Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao, Lijian Peng, Min Zhu*. New material of the Early Devonian sarcopterygian Styloichthys changae illuminates the origin of cosmine. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2025, 23 (1): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2024.2432273.

5.     Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao, Min Zhu*. Scale morphology and squamation pattern of Guiyu oneiros provide new insights into early osteichthyan body plan. Scientific Reports, 2019, 9(1): 4411 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40845-7.

6.      Xindong Cui, Qingming Qu, Plamen S. Andreev, Qiang Li, Huijuan Mai, Min Zhu*. Modeling scale morphogenesis in a Devonian chondrichthyan and scale growth patterns in crown gnathostomes. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2021, 41(2): https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2021.1930018.

7.     Xindong Cui, Qiang Li, Tuo Qiao, Min Zhu*. New material of thelodonts from Lochkovian (Lower Devonian) of

Qujing, Yunnan, China, Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 2020, 58(1): 1–15.

8.      Emily M. Troyer*, Rafael A. Rivero-Vega*, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu, et al. Macroevolutionary role reversals in the earliest radiation of bony fishes, Current Biology, 2025, 35(19): 4631–4641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.08.008

9.     Maokun Li, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu*, Tuo Qiao*. Sarcopterygians from the Lochkovian (Lower Devonian) of Nanning, Guangxi, China, Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 63(1): 1–19.

10. Chang Lu, Xindong Cui, Jun Chen, Zexian Cui, Min Zhu, Yigang Xu*. Devonian sea surface temperature and paleoecology changes constrained by in situ oxygen isotopes of fish fossils. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2024, 639(112059): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112059

11. Qiang Li, Xindong Cui, Plamen Stanislavov Andreev, Wenjin Zha, Jianhua Wang, Lijian Peng, Min Zhu*. Nostolepis scale remains (stem Chondrichthyes) from the Lower Devonian of Qujing, Yunnan, China. PeerJ, 2021, 9: e11093 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11093.

12. Yemao Hou, Xindong Cui, Mario Canul-Ku, Shichao Jin, Rogelio Hasimoto-Beltran, Qinghua Guo, Min Zhu*. ADMorph: A 3D Digital Microfossil Morphology Dataset for Deep Learning. IEEE Access, 2020, 8: 148744–148756.

13. Yanchao Luo, Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao, Min Zhu*. A new dipnoan genus from the Middle Devonian of Huize, Yunnan, China. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2022, 19(18): 1303–1315.

14. Yemao Hou, Mario Canul-Ku, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu*. Super-resolution reconstruction of vertebrate microfossil computed tomography images based on deep learning. X-Ray Spectrometry. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/xrs.3389.

15. Wen Wen*, Qiyue Zhang, Jürgen Kriwet, Shixue Hu, Changyong Zhou, Jinyuan Huang, Xindong Cui, Xiao Min, Michael J Benton*. First occurrence of hybodontid teeth in the Luoping Biota (Middle Triassic, Anisian) and recovery of the marine ecosystem after the end-Permian mass extinction Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2023, 617(111471): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111471.

16. Tong Jia, Cunfeng Wei, Min Zhu, Rongjian Shi, Zhe Wang, Xindong Cui, Baodong Liu*. The multi-scale fusion reconstruction algorithm of CT and CL. Physica Scripta, 2023, 98(10): 105114.

17. Yemao Hou, Mario Canul-Ku, Xindong Cui, Rogelio Hasimoto-Beltran*, Min Zhu*. Semantic segmentation of vertebrate microfossils from computed tomography data using a deep learning approach. Journal of Micropalaeontology. 2021, 40(2): 163–173.

18. Plamen S. Andreev#*, Wenjin Zhao#, Nianzhong Wang, Moya M. Smith, Qiang Li, Xindong Cui, Min Zhu*, Ivan J. Sansom. Early Silurian chondrichthyans from the Tarim Basin (Xinjiang, China), PLoS ONE, 2020, 15(2): e0228589.

19. Wenjin Zhao*, Min Zhu, Zhikun Gai, Zhaohui Pan, Xindong Cui, Jiachen Cai. A review of Silurian fishes from north-western Hunan, China and related biostratigraphy. Acta Geologica Polonica, 2018, 68(3), 475–486.