地处青藏高原东缘的云南，地理地貌复杂，具有丰富的植物多样性和植被类型，以及地层中埋藏有大量的古植物化石资源，成为国内外学者研究云南高原隆升、亚洲季风形成、植物演化的热点地区。云南玉溪地区的华宁中新世地层中发现保存完好的叶、果实和种子的化石，为认识华宁中新世植被和环境提供了化石证据，丰富了云南中新世植物化石。本项目利用电子扫描显微镜等先进设备研究华宁小龙潭组地层中的植物化石，对比现代植物标本，准确鉴定化石植物，重建华宁中新世植物群，并通过共存分析法重建华宁地区中新世气候，为研究云南植物演化、植被演替和气候演变提供新资料和科学依据。依据新的古植物资料，研究华宁小龙潭组地层中槐属和Dryophyllum等重要植物类群形态解剖结构，并且探讨其古地理区系的形成。

Yunnan, Southwest China, is an important hot spot with the abundant plants, vegetations, and plant fossils, which is located in the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, so that it absorbs many scholars to research the uplift of Yunnan Plateau, evolution of plant vegetation, and the Asian monsoon. A large number of leaf-, fruit- and seed- fossilswill enrich the plant fossil data of Xiaolongtan formation, found in the Miocene Huaning, Yuxi. Morphologically and anatomically studying these fossils with the microscopes (e.g. SEM (scanning electronic microscope)) and comparing with the present plants and the Miocene flora of Kaiyun and Xianfeng,Yunnan, we reconstruct the flora of Huaning in the mid-Miocene. And applying co-existence, we also reconstruct the climate of Huaning in the Miocene, providing more scientific basis for evolution of climate of Yunnan. Based on these new fossil data (e.g. Sophora Linn. and Dryophyllum Debey ex Sap.), we study evolution of some important plants and discuss their palaeogeographical implications.