Xiaoming Wang, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (USA); Zhuding Qiu, Zhanxiang Qiu, Banyue Wang, Meeman Chang, Tao Deng, Qiang Li, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (China); Yang Wang, Florida State University (USA); Bradley Ritts, Indiana University at Bloomington (USA); Xiaomin Fang, John King, and Chunhui Song, Institutes of Loess and Quaternary and Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS (China)

As the tallest mountain range in the world, the Tibetan Plateau ranks among the most imposing geographic features on Earth, and has had a profound effect on the late Cenozoic climatic evolution and corresponding environmental changes in Eurasian continent. As such, the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions have become a major focus in geological and environmental investigations, and are a leading area of interests among Cenozoic earth science research in China. Studies on the tectonic mechanisms of the uplift of the Plateau and associated climatic evolution provide insights into the close relationships of geological and environmental processes.

The immensity of the region and complexity of issues in the Tibetan Plateau can only be successfully tackled by a multidisciplinary approach. Co-funding from the National Science Foundation (US), National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Chinese Academy of Sciences helps to overcome the prohibitive costs and difficulties of access. By combining resources and expertise from several US and Chinese institutions, our field research in Tibetan Plateau exemplifies what can best be done in the spirit of collaboration and how to create a win-win situation for all parties.