1)昆虫分类与系统演化

2)昆虫与相关动植物的协同演化

从宏观和历史发展的角度开展进化生物学的研究工作，将古代和现代结合起来。以地史时期生命的进化为主要研究内容，以古昆虫学，尤其是重要经济昆虫的起源演化研究作为主攻目标。着重研究昆虫与伴生动植物的相互作用与协同演化，揭示各种生境中昆虫群落的组成和时空分布规律，探索昆虫演化模式对现今地理分布格局形成的作用。对包括昆虫在内的生物群的兴起、演化、灭绝和复苏有一个全面的了解，更好的了解现在主要经济昆虫区系状态形成的历史背景，从而从今后的发展趋势有科学的预测，更好地认识当前环境的形成过程和未来发展趋势。

国际古昆虫学会（InternationalSocietyofPalaeoentomology）副主席，科学委员会委员

中国昆虫学会常务理事，副秘书长，古昆虫专业委员会主任

中国古生物学会理事

北京市昆虫学会常务理事,古昆虫学科组组长

《昆虫学报》、《InsectScience》（SCI英文刊）、《昆虫分类学报》、《世界地质》、《应用昆虫学报》、《ALAVESIA》（国际古昆虫学会会刊）等期刊编委

教育部科技委员会农林学部委员

国家古生物化石专家委员会委员。

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16.YangQiang,MakarkinVladimirN.&RenDong*(任东).Anewgenusofthefamilypanfiloviidae(Insecta,Neuroptera)fromtheMiddleJurassicofChina.Palaeontology,56(1):49-59.

17.GuoYinxia,BethouxOlivier,GuJunjie&RenDong*(任东).2013.WingvenationhomologiesinPennsylvanian'cockroachoids'(Insecta)clarifiedthankstoaremarkablespecimenfromthePennsylvanianofNingxia(China).JournalofSystematicPalaeontology,11(1):41-46.

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21.SolodovnikovAlexey,YueYanli,TarasovSergey&RenDong*(任东).Extinctandextantrovebeetlesmeetinthematrix:EarlyCretaceousfossilsshedlightontheevolutionofahyperdiverseinsectlineage(Coleoptera:Staphylinidae:Staphylininae).Cladistics,29(4):360-403.

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23.GaoTaiping,ShihChungkun,XuXing,WangShuo&RenDong*(任东).2012.Mid-MesozoicFlea-likeEctoparasitesofFeatheredorHairedVertebrates.CurrentBiology,22:732-735.

24.GuJunjie,Montealegre-zFernando,RobertDaniel,EngelS.Michael,QiaoGexia&RenDong*(任东).2012.WingstridulationinaJurassicKatydid(Insecta,Orthoptera)producedlow-pitchedmusicalcallstoattractfemales.ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesUSA(PNAS),109(10):3868-3873.

25.BéthouxOlivier,CuiYingying,KondratieffBoris,StarkBill&RenDong*(任东).2011.Atlast,aPennsylvanianstem-stonefly(Plecoptera)discovered.BMCEvolutionaryBiology,11:248doi:10.1186/1471-2148-11-248.

26.LiuYushuang,SinitshenkovaNinaD.&RenDong*(任东)&ShihChungkun.2011.Pronemouridaefam.nov.(Insecta:Plecoptera),thestemgroupofNemouridaeandNotonemouridae,fromthemiddleJurassicofInnerMongolia,China.Palaeontology,54(4),923–933.

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28.YaoYunzhi,ZhangWeiting,RenDong(任东)&ShihChungkun.2011.NewfossilOchteridae(Hemiptera:Heteroptera:Ochteroidea)fromtheUpperMesozoicofnorth-easternChina,withphylogenyofthefamily.SystematicEntomology2011,36:589–600.

29.PaulA.Selden,ChungKunShih&DongRen*(任东).2011.Agoldenorb-weaverspider(Araneae:Nephilidae:Nephila)fromtheMiddleJurassicofChina.BiologyLetters,7(5):775-779.

30.JingxiaZhao,YunyunZhao,ChungkunShih,DongRen*(任东)&YongjieWang.2010.Transitionalfossilearwigs-amissinglinkinDermapteraevolution.BMCEvolutionaryBiology,10:344.doi:10.1186/1471-2148-10-344.

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32.ZhangKuiyan,YangDing,RenDong*(任东)&ShihChungkun.2010.AnevolutionalspecialcaseinthelowerOrthorrhapha,someattractivefossilfliesfromtheMiddleJurassicofChina(Insecta:Diptera:Brachycera).ZoologicalJournaloftheLinneanSociety,158:563-572.

33.DongRen(任东),ConradC.Labandeira,JorgeA.Santiago-Blay,AlexandrRasnitsyn,ChungKunShih,AlexeiBashkuev,M.AmeliaV.Logan,CarolL.Hotton,DavidDilcher.2009.AProbablePollinationModeBeforeAngiosperms:Eurasian,Long-ProboscidScorpionflies.Science,326(6):841-847.

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35.YangQiang,ZhaoYunyun*&RenDong*(任东).2009.Anexceptionallywell-preservedfossilKalligrammatidfromtheJeholBiota.ChineseScienceBulletin,54(10):1732-1737.

36.RenDong(任东),NelA.&ProkopJ.2008.Newearlygriffenfly,SinomeganeurahuangheensisfromtheLateCarboniferousofnorthernChina(Meganisoptera:Meganeuridae).InsectSyst.Evol,38:223-229.

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