Chinese scientist wins UNSECO Women in Science award

Chinese scientist Mee-Mann Chang. (Photo/CGTN)

Chinese scientist Mee-Mann Chang was honored with a 2018 L'Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award on Thursday in Paris, France.

The 82-year-old scientist was given the distinction for "her pioneering work on fossil records which led to insights on how aquatic vertebrates adapted to life and land," said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

As a paleontologist, Chang described what a single fossil could tell her about an animal and how it evolved.

Chang said she was lucky because her mother encouraged her to study, rather than stay at home.

For all the young girls out there, Chang's advice to them is to follow their heart and persist in demonstrating your talent.

Chang is a professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences based in Beijing.