甘南红景天濒危的生殖生态学因素分析

为了寻找保护和恢复甘南红景天种群的有效途径,本文分析了甘南红景天的繁育系统、生殖过程、开花物候特征及影响生殖成功的主要因子.结果表明:甘南红景天为雌雄异株,雄花在花芽分化初期为两性植株,但随着花的不断发育,雌蕊的胚囊发育到一定阶段时败育,两性植株基本仅执行雄性功能,种群繁殖为异交,以风媒传粉方式为主,种群花期出现在全年降雨和气温较高的季节.6月初现蕾,6月中旬开花,7月上旬进入盛花期,花期在36 d左右,8月下旬果实成熟.两性植株略早于雌花开放,花期(10.2 d)大于雌性植株(8.4 d).由于部分雌花不易授粉,部分花蕾、胚珠损失,1~3年的幼龄植株几乎不开花结实,群落中只有11%的植株开花结实,种子自然繁殖率极低,约为2%.从花蕾到开花,雌性单株有20.0%～25.1%的花蕾损失; 从开花到结实,单株51.1%～65.0%的花败育;至种子成熟,仅10.1%～21.0%的胚珠发育成种子.雌性单株平均种子产量为158.1粒,人工条件下种子发芽率为81.5%,幼苗第一年的成活率为36.0%.表明种子质量不是导致甘南红景天濒危的原因,而花粉限制、种子产量和幼苗的成活率是真正影响其生殖成功和导致濒危的主要生殖生态学因素.     

大花百子莲的开花物候与生殖特性

连续2年对引种植物大花百子莲在中国上海市人工种群的开花物候、结实情况进行观测记录,从不同水平分析了大花百子莲的开花物候对其生殖的影响。结果显示:（1）大花百子莲在引种地的开花时间为6月初至7月末;种群花期历时40 d左右,单株花期在14～31 d波动,单花寿命主要为2～3 d;2年的开花振幅平均在6朵·株^-1·d^-1左右,花朵开放百分率值在3.69%~4.87%左右,平均开花式样为11~17朵。（2）大花百子莲种群内2007年比2008年的各项开花物候指标均提前6～9 d;种群开花进程为渐进式的双峰曲线;种群花期重叠时间较长,2年的平均开花同步指数分别为0.663、0.695;植株个体相对开花强度主要分布频度为50%～70%。（3）开花物候指数与座果率的相关分析表明,始花时间与开花数目、座果数、花期长度呈显著负相关关系,开花数目与座果数、花期长度以及花期长度与座果数均呈显著正相关关系,同一花序内单花所发育成果实的数量与单花开放时间呈极显著负相关关系。研究表明,大花百子莲始花时间早的植株比始花时间晚的植株花期更长,开花数目多的植株比开花数目少的植株花期更长,花期长的植株比花期短的植株座果率更高;而且在同一花序上,越早开放的单花其结实的可能性越大。作为引种植物,大花百子莲开花物候年度间具有相似性,说明其在引种地可以适应环境压力,形成稳定的开花时间与开花模式;较长的花期重叠和大量的开花数目可以吸引较多的传粉者访问,为其生殖成功奠定了良好基础。     

濒危植物凹叶厚朴的花部综合特征和繁育系统

为了解凹叶厚朴(Magnolia officinalis subsp.biloba)濒危的生殖生物学原因,通过野外观测,运用杂交指数、花粉-胚珠比、花粉活力和柱头可授性观测、人工授粉和套袋实验等方法,对凹叶厚朴种群的开花生物学、繁育系统进行了研究。结果表明:凹叶厚朴单花花期一般为4～5d,单花花期根据形态和散粉时间可分为4个时期:蕾期、初开期、盛开期和凋零期;种群于4—5月开花,一般开花历时30d左右,但不同地点、年份间有所差异;种群无开花高峰,单株平均开花数量为171.4～188.8朵,平均开花振幅为5～6朵·株-1·d-1;凹叶厚朴杂交指数为4,花粉胚珠比为5728.86,结合人工套袋和授粉实验结果可确定,繁育系统为异交,传粉过程需要传粉者;花粉活力较高(94%),且花粉活力可维持至散粉后的第6天。散粉后,柱头可授性显著下降,花粉高活力期与柱头可授期有5～6h的重叠;自然状况下结果率和单果出种百分率低,异株异花授粉可明显提高结果率和单果出种百分率,二者相对自然状况分别提高14.25%和43.66%。表明自然状态下传粉效率低、柱头最佳可授期短、同株自花授粉败育严重是其濒危的主要生殖生物学原因。     

濒危植物沉水樟的濒危机制研究

2003~2004年对沉水樟生殖物候进行了连续2年的野外定位观测,从沉水樟的生殖繁育过程及其种子品质两方面对其有性生殖过程进行系统研究,以探讨沉水樟种群濒危机制。结果表明:(1)沉水樟的花期长达3个月,而盛花期只有15 d左右,杂交指数值为2,繁育系统类型为兼性自交,花粉胚珠比值为244.7~2 588,为风媒传粉的自花授粉植物;(2)沉水樟种子横径为0.50~0.83 cm,纵径为0.87~1.28 cm,结实量比较多,但由于不同物候期重叠,落果率高,果实产量低;(3)沉水樟的生育期长达19个月,其中果实发育期16个月,在漫长的生殖发育过程中易受环境因素影响,种子病虫危害严重,存在严重的空心现象,影响了沉水樟种群的天然更新,这是导致沉水樟种群濒危的主要原因。同时人为破坏和对现代生境不适应也是影响沉水樟种群濒危的原因。     

双岛湾大叶藻的有性生殖特征

对威海双岛湾大叶藻(Zostera marina L.)种群的有性生殖特性进行了研究。结果表明:该水域中,大叶藻种群于3月下旬或4月上旬进入生殖枝始现期,5月上旬进入始花期,6月下旬进入种子散落高峰期,7月上旬进入生殖枝死亡始期,7月下旬生殖期结束,其有性生殖物候进程与水温密切相关,15℃是其开花适宜水温;生殖枝的侧枝数和扇状聚伞花序数在进入始花期时达到最大,分别为4.4和4.9个·株-1,佛焰苞数和生殖枝高度均在种子散落始期最大,分别为18.6个·株-1和96.2 cm,种子败育率较高,平均为40%,成熟种子产量为44.8粒·株-1;生殖枝密度在始花期时达到最大,为64株·m-2,生殖枝分化率平均仅有12.6%,有性生殖期间营养枝密度和种群总密度的下降幅度超过40%;生殖枝生物量在初果期达到最大(27.9 g·m-2),从始花期至种子散落高峰期平均种群生物量分配格局为地下部38.4%,营养枝52.4%,生殖枝9.2%,生殖分配较低,成熟种子产量为1859粒·m-2。     

蒙古莸的开花物候与生殖特征

通过对蒙古莸自然种群和人工种群的开花物候进程观察,统计不同种群的结实率,分析开花物候对其生殖成功的影响。结果表明:(1)蒙古莸花期在7月末至9月中旬,人工种群较自然种群的开花物候明显提前,其中始花期提早4～5d,但两个种群的花期持续天数基本一致。(2)蒙古莸个体间具有较高的开花同步性,不同种群蒙古莸植株的开花同步性指数均大于0.80,且自然种群略高;晴好天气下绝大多数花朵都集中在上午10:00以前开放,阴雨天则延迟开放或者不开放,这种"集中开花模式"增加了传粉者的访问频率,是蒙古莸提高生态适应性、保障其生殖成功的一种表现。(3)开花物候指数与结实数之间的相关分析表明,花序水平上,开花数及花期持续时间与结实数呈极显著正相关关系。     

巫山淫羊藿开花物候与生殖特征

研究巫山淫羊藿(Epimedium wushanense)3个种群的开花物候进程和生殖特征,分析了不同种群中的花部特征、开花物候指数和结实率差异,以及开花物候指数对巫山淫羊藿生殖成功的影响。结果表明:巫山淫羊藿花期为3月初到4月中下旬,种群开花一般历时22～27d;单株花期(花序)约12～17d;单花花期一般为3～4d。3个种群的个体水平的开花振幅曲线呈单峰型曲线,均具有较高的开花同步指数,表现出一种集中开花式样。相关分析表明:坐果数与开花高峰期、终花期、花期持续时间和花蕾数均呈极显著正相关,但坐果数与始花期无相关关系。开花物候变异系数分析表明:3个种群中花期持续时间、单花持续时间、终花期、开花高峰期和坐果数差异极显著;总花数、开花振幅和结实率差异显著;开花同步指数和始花期无显著差异性。3个种群中除同步性指数外,其余指数的变异系数均有差异,此外,巫山淫羊藿中结实率受到距的长短的影响。表明巫山淫羊藿的开花物候和生殖特征受到微环境的影响,同时生殖特征还受到花部特征距的影响。     

濒危植物金花茶开花物候和生殖构件特征

对桂林雁山迁地保护的金花茶(Camellia nitidissima)开花物候和生殖构件特征进行了研究.结果表明:(1)单花开放过程可分为蕾松、初开、盛开、落花4个阶段,单花寿命约2～8 d;(2)个体花期长,始花时间变异大,单株花期平均为37 d,始花时间可相差2个多月,种群始花时间为1月上旬,3月上旬达到开花高峰期,花期持续近3个月;(3)生殖构件的数量与个体径级和树冠层次有一定关系,地径大于6 cm的个体,其单株花数、生殖枝数、生殖枝比率显著高于地径小于4 cm和4～6 cm个体,而每生殖枝花数则无显著差异;不同树冠层次之间,平均生殖枝数和生殖枝比率,以中、下层显著高于上层,而每生殖枝花数以上层最高,花数在不同冠层之间无显著差异;(4)花芽期败育率为16.33%,花期败育率为63.05%,果期败育率为44.09%,败育率在不同径级个体和不同冠层之间有一定差异;败育率高,结实率低,种子产量少,是金花茶濒危的一个主要原因;(5)开花数目与花期长度呈正相关,个体始花时间与花期长度、座果率之间存在显著的负相关关系.     

Polyploidization and sexual dimorphism of floral traits in a subdioecious population of Dasiphora glabra

银露梅亚雌雄异株种群的多倍化和花特征性二态 性二态是性别分离植物的常见性状,对植物的雌性和雄性功能可能产生不同的影响。本文以青藏高原特有植物银露梅(Dasiphora glabra)为研究对象,利用银露梅同时存在两性、雌性和雄性植株的种群,探讨银露梅与传粉相关的花特征性二态现象及其对传粉者访问、花粉流和结实的影响。另外,本文还利用流式细胞仪检查了两性植株、雄性植株和雌性植株之间基因组大小的差异。研究结果表明：银露梅雌性植株和雄性植株数量约占种群中植株总数量的40%,表明银露梅两性植株数量多于雄性和雌性的植株数量。两性植株的花数量显著多于雄性和雌性植株的花数量。雄花的花大小显著大于雌花和两性花的花大小。雄花的花粉数量与两性花的花粉数量没有差异,但是雌花的胚珠数量显著高于两性花的胚珠数量。双翅目的蝇类是银露梅最主要的访花者,尽管访花者偏好访问更大的花,但是在花间连续访问对大花没有表现出偏好。模拟花粉流实验表明,两性植株和雄性植株的有效花粉转移都很低,从而导致较低的结实率。雌性植株和雄性植株的DNA含量约为两性植株的4倍,并且单性植株和两性植株之间相互授粉不能结实。以上结果表明,与两性花相比,雌花和雄花在与传粉相关的花特征二态性上分别在雌性和雄性功能上表现出优势,但这种优势在很大程度上被低效的花粉转移所掩盖。银露梅的雌性植株和雄性植株经历了多倍化事件,导致与两性植株之间存在繁殖隔离,从而维持了3种性别植株的共存。     

大花百子莲的结实和结籽格局及种子产量影响因素分析

在2007和2008年对大花百子莲(Agapanthus praecox subsp.orientalis‘Big Blue’)在群体、果序和单果水平上的结实和结籽格局进行了观测,并依据每花序单花数、单花胚珠数和单粒种子质量推算其单株潜在种子产量;此外,采用人工补充授粉方法研究了不同授粉方式对大花百子莲结实和结籽的影响,并对其种子产量的影响因素进行了分析。结果表明:从始花期、盛花期至末花期,随开花时间的延迟,大花百子莲植株的每花序单花数和座果率均逐渐降低,其中始花期开花的植株每花序单花数和座果率均最高。从果序基部、中部至顶端,座果率和结籽率均逐渐减小且差异显著。在果序基部和中部,果实内种子败育率沿果实基部至顶端依次降低,而单粒种子质量则依次增加;且果序基部的果实各部位的种子败育率均低于果序中部的果实,而单粒种子质量则差异不大。大花百子莲的单株潜在种子产量约为43.18 g,而其单株实际种子产量约为2.87 g,远低于其潜在种子产量。自然授粉的大花百子莲每柱头花粉数为27.5粒,而自花授粉、同株异花授粉和异株授粉的每柱头花粉数均超过100粒;与自然授粉、自花授粉和同株异花授粉植株相比,异株授粉植株的座果率和结籽率均显著增加。研究结果显示:大花百子莲的结实和结籽格局呈现非随机分布规律,在引种地存在有性繁殖障碍;养分和授粉状况是制约大花百子莲种子产量的重要因素。     

Highly variable reproductive isolation among pairs of Catostomus species

Hybridization between diverged taxa tests the strength of reproductive isolation and can therefore reveal mechanisms of reproductive isolation. However, it remains unclear how consistent reproductive isolation is across species' ranges and to what extent reproductive isolation might remain polymorphic as species diverge. To address these questions, we compared outcomes of hybridization across species pairs of Catostomus fishes in three rivers in the Upper Colorado River basin, where an introduced species, C. commersoni, hybridizes with at least two native species, C. discobolus and C. latipinnis. We observed substantial heterogeneity in outcomes of hybridization, both between species pairs and across geographically separate rivers within each species pair. We also observed hybridization of additional related species with our focal species, suggesting that reproductive isolation in this group involves interactions of multiple evolutionary and ecological factors. These findings suggest that a better understanding of the determinants of variation in reproductive isolation is needed and that studies of reproductive isolation in hybrids should consider how the dynamics and mechanisms of reproductive isolation vary over ecological space and over evolutionary time. Our results also have implications for the conservation and management of native catostomids in the Colorado River basin. Heterogeneity in outcomes of hybridization suggests that the threat posed by hybridization and genetic introgression to the persistence of native species probably varies with extent of reproductive isolation, both across rivers and across species pairs.     

Reproductive Isolation of Hybrid Populations Driven by Genetic Incompatibilities

Despite its role in homogenizing populations, hybridization has also been proposed as a means to generate new species. The conceptual basis for this idea is that hybridization can result in novel phenotypes through recombination between the parental genomes, allowing a hybrid population to occupy ecological niches unavailable to parental species. Here we present an alternative model of the evolution of reproductive isolation in hybrid populations that occurs as a simple consequence of selection against genetic incompatibilities. Unlike previous models of hybrid speciation, our model does not incorporate inbreeding, or assume that hybrids have an ecological or reproductive fitness advantage relative to parental populations. We show that reproductive isolation between hybrids and parental species can evolve frequently and rapidly under this model, even in the presence of substantial ongoing immigration from parental species and strong selection against hybrids. An interesting prediction of our model is that replicate hybrid populations formed from the same pair of parental species can evolve reproductive isolation from each other. This non-adaptive process can therefore generate patterns of species diversity and relatedness that resemble an adaptive radiation. Intriguingly, several known hybrid species exhibit patterns of reproductive isolation consistent with the predictions of our model.     

Seasonal stability and species specificity of environmentally acquired chemical mating signals in orchid bees

Traits that mediate reproductive isolation between species, such as those involved in mate choice and/or recognition, are predicted to experience stabilizing selection towards the species mean. Male orchid bees collect chemical compounds from many sources, such as plants and fungi, which they use as a perfume signal (pheromone) during courtship display, and are suggested to contribute to reproductive isolation between species. Environmentally acquired signals are more prone to variation as source availability can vary through space and time. If orchid bee perfumes are important for reproductive isolation between species, we expect them to exhibit stable species-specific differences in time and space. Here, we describe phenotypic patterns of inter- and intraspecific variation in the male perfumes of three sympatric species of Euglossa orchid bees across an entire year, investigating both their seasonality and species specificity. Our analysis revealed considerable within-species variation in perfumes. However, species specificity was maintained consistently throughout the year, supporting the idea that these perfumes could play an important role in reproductive isolation and are experiencing stabilizing selection towards a species mean. Our analysis also identified strong correlations in the abundance of some compounds, possibly due to shared collection sources between species. Our study suggests that orchid bee perfumes are robust in the face of environmental changes in resource availability and thus can maintain reproductive isolation between species.     

Lessons from biodiversity—the value of nontraditional species to advance reproductive science,conservation, and human health

Reproduction is quintessential to species survival. But what is underappreciated for this discipline is the wondrous array of reproductive mechanisms among species— variations as diverse as the morphology of the species themselves (more than 55,000 vertebrate and 1.1 million invertebrate types). We have investigated only a tiny fraction of these species in reproductive science. Besides the need to fill enormous gaps in a scholarly database, this knowledge has value for recovering and genetically managing rare species as well as addressing certain reproductive issues in humans. This article provides examples, first to advise against oversimplifying reproduction and then to show how such knowledge can have practical use for managing whole animals, populations, or even saving an entire species. We also address the expected challenges and opportunities that could lead to creative shifts in philosophy and effective actions to benefit more species as well as a future generation of reproductive scientists. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 77: 397–409, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

家猫及其他猫科动物的生殖工程研究

在脊椎动物中,猫科动物是一类比较特殊的动物类群,共有37种动物,除家猫外,其余均为珍稀或临近灭绝的濒危动物,因而了解家猫的生殖习性和生殖规律,尤其是了解家猫胚胎工程领域,如猫卵母细胞的体外成熟（in vitro maturation IVM),体外受精（in vitro fertilization,IVF),显微受精等,对于利用现代生殖技术研究和探讨非家猫猫科动物的繁殖和保护具有极为重要的借鉴意义。     

浅析物种概念的演变历史

本文是一篇关于物种概念演变的简述。生物学家用不同的方法或标准划分物种, 就形成了不同的物种概念, 如生物学物种、形态学物种、生态学物种、进化物种、系统发生或支序物种, 或它们的组合, 等等。它们都揭示了物种属性的特定侧面, 都是不同物种客观存在的真实反映, 但都无法令所有人满意。对真核生物来说, 无论它们在形态上的差别有多大, 生殖隔离(不能产生可育的后代)应该是两个群体能否真正分化成不同物种的关键, 这种隔离机制可以是地理的、行为的或其他方式; 而生殖隔离总会伴随着一些形态或遗传上的变化, 虽然这些特征可能与生殖隔离本身并无多大关系, 但往往成为分类学家或分子进化生物学家区分种的依据,对已经灭绝的化石物种来说, 生殖隔离的物种划分方式就无能为力了。如何准确定义一个物种依然充满着矛盾, 因为基于生殖隔离的物种概念不实用, 而实用的物种概念(如形态学物种)又被认为是人为的。     

三种同域分布喉毛花的繁殖分配

以青藏高原高寒草甸中三种同域分布的喉毛花为研究对象,通过比较三个种的植株性状和繁殖分配,探讨繁殖分配的种间差异及其与植株个体大小的关系。结果表明:(1)三个种的植株高度、顶花大小和单株花数目、繁殖分配均存在种间差异,这可能与其各自的交配系统和具体的生境以及相应的生活史对策有关;(2)在三种喉毛花中,投入到营养器官和繁殖器官的绝对资源量均呈显著正相关,未检测到植株生长和繁殖间的权衡关系;(3)三个种的个体大小与繁殖器官生物量均呈显著正相关,而与繁殖分配均呈显著负相关,这表明个体越大,繁殖投入越高,而繁殖分配越低,与以往研究结果一致,这可能是由于繁殖分配与个体大小之间存在异速关系。     

Evolution of the expression of the Gld gene in the reproductive tract of Drosophila.

During the preadult development of Drosophila melanogaster, the GLD (glucose dehydrogenase) gene (Gld) is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the immature reproductive tract. At the adult stage the expression of Gld becomes largely restricted to the reproductive tract of males and females. We examined the expression of GLD in the adult reproductive tract of 50 species in the genus Drosophila, as well as in those of a few representative species from four other closely related genera. GLD exhibits considerable organ-specific diversity in the reproductive tract of males and females. Among these species, five male GLD phenotypes and six female GLD phenotypes were found. In contrast, the preadult expression of GLD in representative species from each distinct adult pattern type was determined and found to be highly conserved in both the immature reproductive tract and non-reproductive organs. Moreover, the set of reproductive organs that express GLD during preadult development is equivalent to the sum of the five male and six female adult GLD phenotypes. To initially define the contribution of cis- versus trans-acting factors responsible for differences in adult GLD expression between two of these species--D. melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura--we transferred the D. pseudoobscura Gld to the genome of D. melanogaster and investigated its expression. GLD expression patterns of these transformants displayed characteristics that are unique to both species, suggesting the presence of both cis- and trans-acting differences between these two species.     

How does the magnitude of genetic variation affect ecological and reproductive character displacement?

While previous studies on character displacement tended to focus on trait divergence and convergence as a result of long-term evolution, recent studies suggest that character displacement can be a special case of evolutionary rescue, where rapid evolution prevents species extinction by weakening interspecific competition. Here we analyzed a simple model to examine how the magnitude of genetic variation affects evolutionary rescue via ecological and reproductive character displacement that weakens interspecific competition in exploitation of shared resources (i.e., resource competition) and in the mating process caused by incomplete species recognition (i.e., reproductive interference), respectively. We found that slow trait divergence due to small genetic variance results in species extinction in reproductive character displacement but not in ecological character displacement. This is because one species becomes rare in slow character displacement, and this causes deterministic extinction due to minority disadvantage of reproductive interference. On the other hand, there is no deterministic extinction in the process of ecological character displacement. Furthermore, species extinction becomes less likely in the case of positive covariance between ecological and reproductive traits as divergence of the ecological trait (e.g., root depths) increases the divergence speed of the reproductive trait (e.g., flower colors) and vice versa. It will be interesting to compare intraspecific genetic (co)variance of ecological and reproductive traits in future studies for understanding how ecological and reproductive character displacement occur without extinction.     

Spatial segregation in the reproductive activity of Neotropical fish species as an indicator of the migratory trait

This study focused on the distribution of fish with high reproductive activity along a basin, using a 430 km stretch of the Cuiabá River in Brazil as a model. The main objective of this study was to identify those fish that migrate long distances for reproduction, among all the basin species. Thus, a set of working criteria are proposed to classify species according to their reproductive behaviour (i.e., reproductive activity and distribution). Samplings were performed in the Cuiabá River basin, encompassing several environments (river, channels and lakes) during the reproductive periods (between October and February), from 2000 to 2004. Species occurrence (presence and absence – proxy of distribution) across the basin and index of reproductive activity values were used as criteria to identify the species that perform long-distance longitudinal migrations for reproduction. The study confirmed the classification of long-distance longitudinal migration species; nonetheless, some species were not classified as described in the literature. The proposed sequential criteria have proven to be effective in the classification of long-distance longitudinal migrations species and certainly contribute to filling some existing knowledge gaps of reproductive traits. This classification is of fundamental importance in planning new dam projects, in decision making and in the development of management and conservation actions for the ichthyofauna.