基于对贵州(盘县、兴义、关岭)、云南(罗平)、安徽(巢湖、无为)、江苏(南京龙潭)以及湖北(南漳)等地三叠纪地层和化石的详细调研、采集和发掘,对三叠纪海生爬行动物群赋存地层、多样性组成面貌和演变、全球对比及古环境背景开展以我为主的国际合作研究,并涉及塔里木古生代地层研究。以第一作者研究命名了多个鱼龙类、鳍龙类等的新属种,进行分支谱系分析,并重新系统描述长颈龙类、巨胫龙类等,丰富了对三叠纪海生爬行动物多样性和演化的认识;讨论鳍龙类贵州龙的种内形态变化、个体生长和性双型;讨论鱼龙类巢湖龙等捕食方式、胎生起源等;提出中三叠世华南具有强烈的西特提斯生物地理亲缘性,但也与南方冈瓦纳区存在一定联系;讨论盘县动物群和兴义动物群等的微演变序列和古环境背景,认为是生物辐射的实证;探讨海生爬行动物分异发展和绝灭与全球海平面变化之间的联系。
论文分别发表在本学科国际权威学术期刊 Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology(美国)、Journal of Paleontology(美国)、Palaeontology(英国)、Nature(英国)、PloS One(美国)、Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie(德国)等。代表性论文有:
1、Motani, R., D.-y. Jiang* (corresponding), G. Chen, A. Tintori, O. Rieppel, C. Ji, and J. Huang. 2015. A transitional ichthyosauriform with short snout from the Lower Triassic of China. Nature 517:485-488. (20141105 available online: doi:10.1038/nature13866).
2、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, A. Tintori, O. Rieppel, G. Chen, J. Huang, R.Zhang, Z. Sun and C. Ji. 2014. Early Triassic eosauropterygian Majiashanosaurus discocoracoidis, gen. et sp. nov. (Reptilia,
Sauropterygia) from Chaohu, Anhui Province, China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34:1044-1052.
3、Motani, R., D.-y. Jiang* (corresponding), A. Tintori, O. Rieppel, and G. Chen. 2014. Terrestrial origin of viviparity in Mesozoic marine reptiles indicated by Early Triassic embryonic fossils. PLoS ONE 9:e8B640.
4、Jiang D.-y., Rieppel O., Fraser N. C., R. Motani, W. Hao, A. Tintori, Y. Sun, and Z. Sun. 2011. New information on the Protorosaurian reptile Macrocnemus fuyuanensis Li et al., 2007 from the Middle/Upper Triassic of Yunnan, China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(6):1230-1237.
5、Jiang D.-y., R. Motani, Hao W., O. Rieppel., Sun Y., A. Tintori, Sun Z. and L. Schmitz. 2009. Biodiversity and sequence of the Middle Triassic Panxian Marine Reptile Fauna, Guizhou Province, China. Acta Geologica Sinica 83:451-459
6、Jiang, D.-y., O. Rieppel., R. Motani, W. Hao, Y. Sun, L. Schmitz, and Z. Sun. 2008. A new Middle Triassic sauropterygian from Southwestern China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (4).
7、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, O. Rieppel, L. Schmitz, W. Hao, Y. Sun, and Z. Sun. 2008. First record of Placodontoidea (Reptilia, Sauropterygia, Placodontia) from the Eastern Tethys. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28:904-908.
8、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, L. Schmitz, O. Rieppel, W. Hao, Y. Sun, and Z. Sun. 2008. New primitive ichthyosaurian (Reptilia, Diapsida) from the Middle Triassic of Panxian (Guizhou, southwestern China) and its position in the Triassic Biotic Recovery. Progress on Natural Science 18:1315-1319.. [In English and Chinese]
9、Jiang, D.-y., L. Schmitz, R. Motani, W. Hao and Y. Sun. 2007. The mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon cf. P. fraasi from the Middle Triassic of Guizhou Province, China. Journal of Paleontology 84:602-605.
10、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, C. Li, W. Hao, Y. Sun, Z, Sun and L. Schmitz. 2005. Guanling Biota: A marker of Triassic biotic recovery from the end-Permian extinction in the ancient Guizhou Sea. Acta Geologica Sinica—English Edition 79:729-738.