生物多样性事业需要科学、可操作的物种概念

物种概念(species concept)是生物学家们持续关注的中心问题。物种概念决定物种划分, 而物种划分的合理性关系到生物多样性的研究、保护和可持续利用。本文把现有较流行的物种概念分为6类, 并对它们予以述评后指出: 虽然生物学物种概念、遗传学物种概念、进化物种概念、系统发生物种概念等从不同方面认识了物种的客观真实性和物种的本质, 但在实践中都难以操作。绝大多数物种是由分类学家划分的, 但目前所有的分类学物种概念都包含有不同程度的主观因素, 从而造成物种划分的人为性, 对生物多样性研究造成负面影响。因此, 生物多样性事业需要科学、可操作的物种概念。本文在吸收了生物学物种概念、遗传学物种概念、进化物种概念以及系统发生物种概念等的长处, 也分析了它们的不足和问题的基础上提出一个新的物种概念, 即形态-生物学物种概念。最后, 以芍药属(Paeonia)几个物种的处理为例, 说明这一新的物种概念是可操作的, 划分的物种在形态上区别分明, 易于鉴别。更重要的是, 其结果得到基于25或26个单拷贝或寡拷贝核基因DNA序列所作的系统发生分析的强有力支持。各个物种在系统发生树上形成单系和独立的谱系, 表明其间各自形成独立的基因库, 没有基因交换, 它们独立进化, 有各自的生态位和独立的分布区。因此, 利用这一新的物种概念能够达到预期目标。     

我国植物种级水平分类学研究刍议

对洪德元先生最近在《生物多样性》(2016年第24卷第3期)发表的《关于提高物种划分合理性的意见》一文中的部分观点进行了进一步阐述。强调我国植物确实还存在大量种级水平的分类学问题有待解决, 我国植物分类学研究在一些重要发展阶段(如系统阶段和物种生物学阶段)上存在明显缺失, 需要弥补。指出分类学发展到今天, 不宜再强调“经典分类学”和“实验分类学”之分, 应采用多学科手段解决分类学问题; 我国应加强植物分类专著水平的研究工作, 注意培养年轻一辈植物分类学专著工作者; 在分类处理中应用居群概念和统计学方法时应特别谨慎; 在系统植物学中接受物种概念的多元性是必要的, 但要向达到广义的生物学种概念努力, 不宜以有所谓的“归并派”和“细分派”之分为借口而完全主观地划分物种。     

生物学物种概念在化石物种鉴定中的应用问题北大核心CSCD

物种概念是生物学的核心问题,而在化石鉴定中的应用存在诸多困难和分歧。本文介绍生物学物种概念在古生物学研究中的优点、难点与必要性。近年来,生物学物种概念已被古生物学家们广泛接受,居群和种内变异的重要性越来越受到重视。文章以二叠纪牙形类和腕足类化石种等为例,探讨如何在厘定物种、建立新种和使用亚种概念时,运用生物学物种概念及其延伸出来的各个标准。文章还讨论生物学物种在不同门类中的适用情况。认为在后生动物中,生物学物种可以得到较好的验证,在化石鉴定中,要尽量识别每一个种的发育序列和充分考虑种内变异,这样鉴定的化石种具有较高的地层对比价值,应当尽量避免仅仅根据个别标本的形态特征鉴定化石物种。     

欢迎订阅《菌物学报》

《菌物学报》(曾用名《真菌学报》《菌物系统》,英文刊名Mycosystema)是中国自然科学核心期刊。主要刊登我国菌物学(包括真菌、粘菌、卵菌、地衣等)研究领域在理论上、实践上有创新性的科研成果。报道内容包含菌物系统分类学、形态学、分子与细胞水平的进化菌物学、菌物区系地理学、菌物多样性、濒危菌物物种保护生物学以及与菌物系统分类有关的医学真菌、兽医真菌、生态学、遗传学、生理学、病理学、生物化学等方面的综述和研究论文。     

绿藻门小球藻科的分类学研究进展

小球藻科物种生境范围广,分布于全球各种淡水、海水及陆生环境中,是多种生态系统的重要组成部分,且以其重要的科学和应用价值成为研究热点。由于个体微小及较强的形态可塑性,小球藻科物种能供分辨的形态特征有限,其经典分类学研究和物种鉴定存在诸多困难。随着基于DNA序列的研究方法在分类学研究中的应用,小球藻科历经多次修订,物种组成发生了很大变化,目前,小球藻科包含约48个属258个种。该科分类仍存在许多悬而未决的问题,如有些属、种的分类地位存疑、分类单元的多系起源问题、一些新支系有待进行物种归类。本文系统总结了小球藻科分类学研究历史和现状,并对其中存在的问题及存疑类群进行阐述,探讨了基因组学数据测序情况及其在分类学上的应用前景,以期为小球藻科的系统分类研究和开发利用提供基础参考资料。     

欢迎订阅《菌物学报》

《菌物学报》(曾用名《真菌学报》《菌物系统》,英文刊名Mycosystema)是北大核心、中信所核心、CSCD核心、武大核心(A类)期刊、第四届中国精品科技期刊。报道内容包括菌物多样性、系统分类学、起源与进化、菌物区系地理学、生态学、遗传学、生理学、生物化学、濒危菌物物种保护生物学以及食药用真菌、有毒真菌、真菌毒素、人类病原真菌、植物病原真菌、兽医真菌、互惠共生菌物等方面的研究论文、简报和综述。     

欢迎订阅《菌物学报》

《菌物学报》(曾用名《真菌学报》《菌物系统》,英文刊名Mycosystema)是北大核心、中信所核心、CSCD核心、武大核心(A类)期刊、第四届中国精品科技期刊。报道内容包括菌物多样性、系统分类学、起源与进化、菌物区系地理学、生态学、遗传学、生理学、生物化学、濒危菌物物种保护生物学以及食药用真菌。     

中国菌物分类学和多样性研究的历史与现状概况

我国菌物分类学研究始于20世纪初,经过百余年的不断探索和发展,取得了丰硕的成果,并逐渐走进世界前列。本研究通过对世界菌物名称信息库Fungal Names进行数据统计,对发现自中国的菌物新物种和中国学者发表菌物新分类单元等数据开展分析,从中揭示中国菌物分类学的历史和发展趋势。过去,一共有2 214位中国学者参与发表了15 626个菌物新分类单元,包括 3个新纲、27个新目及亚目、117个新科及亚科、769个新属及亚属、11 100个新种、322个新种下单元和3 288个新组合。在全球已知的菌物物种中,自中国发现的新物种有10 233种,隶属于 3界13门44纲174目572科2 379属,占全球已知物种多样性的6.84%,居世界第二位。地理分布上,我国西南地区(云南、四川、贵州、西藏)和低纬度的热带、亚热带地区(中国台湾、广东)发现的新物种最多。根据每年发现的新分类单元数量趋势和命名作者的构成,可将中国菌物分类学的发展历史分为五个阶段：外人在华采菌及研究(1750s-1929)、中国菌物分类学起步(1930-1949)、新中国菌物分类学早期发展(1950-1977)、全国性菌物标本采集与研究(1978-2010)、走进世界前列(2011至今)。本研究对每个发展时期的分类学概况和重要历史事件进行了总结和回顾,通过上述综述性研究,有助于系统地了解中国菌物分类学不同阶段的发展趋势和研究概况,为学科当下和未来的发展提供参考。     

菌物DNA条形码技术原理与操作

DNA条形码技术是通过对1个较短目的基因的DNA序列进行分析从而进行物种鉴定的方法,它通过对1个或多个相关基因进行大范围的扫描,进而鉴定未知物种或者发现新种。当传统的分类学受到阻碍时,这种技术可以发挥其优势。相对于其他生物,菌物的生活史独特而复杂,这就使得对其进行的形态学鉴定要受到菌物自身生长发育时期的限制。国内外科学家对寻找适合于大多数菌物的标准DNA条码进行过探索,但还没有找到满足全部特征的基因片段。文中对DNA条形码技术的概念、原理依据、操作步骤和优缺点方面进行了介绍,并对DNA条形码技术在我国菌物研究方面的应用前景进行了展望。     

欢迎订阅《菌物学报》

《菌物学报》(曾用名《真菌学报》《菌物系统》,英文刊名Mycosystema)是北大核心、中信所核心、CSCD核心、武大核心(A类)期刊、第四届中国精品科技期刊。报道内容包括菌物多样性、系统分类学、起源与进化、菌物区系地理学、生态学、遗传学、生理学、生物化学、濒危菌物物种保护生物学以及食药用真菌、有毒真菌、真菌毒素、人类病原真菌、植物病原真菌、兽医真菌、互惠共生菌物等方面的研究论文、简报和综述。     

The cladistic solution to the species problem

The correct explanation of why species, in evolutionary theory, are individuals and not classes is the cladistic species concept. The cladistic species concept defines species as the group of organisms between two speciation events, or between one speciation event and one extinction event, or (for living species) that are descended from a speciation event. It is a theoretical concept, and therefore has the virtue of distinguishing clearly the theoretical nature of species from the practical criteria by which species may be recognized at any one time. Ecological or biological (reproductive) criteria may help in the practical recognition of species. Ecological and biological species concepts are also needed to explain why cladistic species exist as distinct lineages, and to explain what exactly takes place during a speciation event. The ecological and biological species concepts work only as sub-theories of the cladistic species concept and if taken by themselves independently of cladism they are liable to blunder. The biological species concept neither provides a better explanation of species indivudualism than the ecological species concept, nor, taken by itself, can the biological species concept even be reconciled with species individualism. Taking the individuality of species seriously requires subordinating the biological, to the cladistic, species concept.     

DNA分子标记技术在真菌系统学研究中的应用及影响

DNA分子标记技术为真菌系统进化研究提供了许多新的方法,真菌分子系统学已成为一门成熟的学科。简述了真菌分子系统学的发展简史和代表性的研究方法以及对真菌系统学的主要贡献,包括将广义的真菌划分为3个类群,粘菌和卵菌不再属于真菌界成员。真菌生命之树项目的研究结果对真菌界高阶分类系统作出重大调整,将先前的4个门(壶菌门、接合菌门、子囊菌门和担子菌门)变为7个门(微孢子虫门、壶菌门、新丽鞭毛菌门、芽枝霉门、球囊菌门、子囊菌门和担子菌门)和4个亚门,并对真菌各类群概念作出修订。此外,DNA分子标记技术对真菌种概念的认识、有性型-无性型关联及分子生态学等研究领域产生了重要影响。     

Detecting cryptic species in sympatry and allopatry: analysis of hidden diversity in Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Modern multilocus molecular techniques are a powerful tool in the detection and analysis of cryptic taxa. However, its shortcoming is that with allopatric populations it reveals phylogenetic lineages, not biological species. The increasing power of coalescent multilocus analysis leads to the situation in which nearly every geographically isolated or semi‐isolated population can be identified as a lineage and therefore raised to species rank. It leads to artificial taxonomic inflation and as a consequence creates an unnecessary burden on the conservation of biodiversity. To solve this problem, we suggest combining modern lineage delimitation techniques with the biological species concept. We discuss several explicit principles on how genetic markers can be used to detect cryptic entities that have properties of biological species (i.e. of actually or potentially reproductively isolated taxa). Using these principles we rearranged the taxonomy of the butterfly species close to Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) ripartii. The subgenus Agrodiaetus is a model system in evolutionary research, but its taxonomy is poorly elaborated because, as a rule, most of its species are morphologically poorly differentiated. The taxon P. (A.) valiabadi has been supposed to be one of the few exceptions from this rule due to its accurately distinguishable wing pattern. We discovered that in fact traditionally recognized P. valiabadi is a triplet of cryptic species, strongly differentiated by their karyotypes and mitochondrial haplotypes.     

Wohin steuert die Taxonomie?

In taxonomy, the organisms may be grouped into species according to different criteria, e.g. according to phenotypic and genetic characteristics or according to reproductive connections. In nature, there is no universal unit that can be called “species”, because different biological mechanisms are responsible for how individuals are grouped together or delimitated from each other. Different species concepts do not necessarily define the same entity existing in nature. One and the same individual can be assigned to different species depending on the species concept. In the last two decades, the barcode taxonomy has played a dominant role. A major advantage of the barcode taxonomy is the time‐saving automated mass detection of species without the need for taxonomically trained experts. Especially in evolutionarily young species, however, there are considerable discrepancies between the classification according to the barcode concept and the classification according to reproductive communities or phenotypic characteristics. The barcode species must therefore be understood as a species in addition to other species concepts.     

Development trends in taxonomy,with special reference to fungi

Taxonomy is a traditional subject, but it still receives attention and has become a topic of much discussion in recent years. Many of these discussions have raised concerns about the future of taxonomy, especially with regard to the workforce responsible for the discovery of new species in the context of declining biodiversity. Previous discussions were based on the taxonomic data of plants and animals, but the status of fungal taxonomy has not been mentioned. Fungi have one of the highest levels of biodiversity among all living organisms, second only to insects. The discussion of the future of taxonomy without the inclusion of fungal data is incomplete. Here, we present the results of analyses based on all new fungal taxa published since 1753. Fungal taxonomy is an ever‐growing area of study with increasing numbers of new taxa being described and growing numbers of fungal taxonomists. Compared with plants and most animal groups, there has been a much sharper increase in the rate at which new fungal taxa are being described. Furthermore, the number of taxonomists studying fungi has increased at a faster speed than those studying plants or animals. This indicates that fungal taxonomy is a prosperous subject and a dynamic area for scientific studies, and that it deserves much more attention and support. The study of fungal taxonomy will deepen our understanding of the biodiversity of our planet.     

基因组学时代的真菌分类学:机遇与挑战

真菌物种的形态特征有限,加之形态滞后和形态可塑性,仅靠外部形态、内部结构及生理生化指标,很难把握真菌的系统亲缘。应用DNA测序、基因组测序、比较基因组学及生物信息学等技术,研究人员可以快速识别真菌演化中出现的数量众多的单系支系,为建立各分类等级的新分类单元提供有力证据,为真菌分类学研究带来了新的希望和活力。自2000年以来,在真菌界至少发表了1新亚界、4新门、7新亚门、19新纲、9新亚纲、40余新目等高级分类单元。近3年来,我国发表了20余个真菌新属,其中绝大多数属的建立都有分子证据支持。可以预见,大量的新种、新属、新科乃至更高级分类单元将会在今后10年内持续发现和建立。这必将大大促进真菌分类学的发展,完善现有的真菌分类系统。我们应该顺势而上,利用我国丰富的真菌资源,为真菌分类学的发展做出应有贡献。与此同时,真菌分类学也面临着十分严峻的挑战。挑战主要来自3个方面,一是研究变得越来越综合,不但需要有相应的研究经费支持,而且要求从事该领域的研究人员技术更全面、知识更广博及知识更新速度更快捷;二是新物种描述进度偏慢,远远不能满足人们对物种认识和利用的日益增长的需要;三是研究人员亟需创新研究模式,以新技术、新思路、新机制来构建新的真菌分类学,加速新物种的发现和描述进度,最终为社会进步和科学发展服务。     

Inventorying the fungi of Mexico

Conservation of the vegetation, analysis of the knowledge of the diversity of fungi, new biological methods and estimates of the numbers of species of fungi that grow in Mexico are discussed. The great forest destruction that is occurring and the loss of fungal diversity in the country is seriously depleting total biodiversity, mainly in the tropics. Methods to establish the number of Mexican species of fungi are proposed based on an average of: (1) the numbers of fungal obligates of vascular plants and animals and of the saprobic species; (2) extrapolating the number of the British fungi to Mexico, taking the British mycota as the best known in the world; and (3) extrapolating to the country the number of species known to occur in the State of Veracruz (Mexico), the best known in the country. The average of these three calculations yields about 200 000 species of fungi for Mexico. Of these, only 3.5% are known, despite considerable progress having been made in the inventory of the country's fungi in the last 30 years. It is concluded that it is necessary to place more emphasis on alpha taxonomy, to train more specialists and to prepare monographs of several groups of fungi.     

On the integrated frameworks of species concepts: Mayden’s hierarchy of species concepts and de Queiroz’s unified concept of species

Richard L. Mayden and Kevin de Queiroz have devised and developed ‘a hierarchy of species concepts’ and ‘a unified species concept’, respectively. Although their integrated frameworks of species concepts are rather different as to how to integrate the diverse modern concepts of species, the end result is that they are likely to agree on species recognition in nature, because they virtually share the same major components (i.e. evolutionary or lineage concept of species; same way of delimiting species), and have the same important consequences. Both the hierarchical and unified frameworks, however, are interpreted to have shortcoming regarding the way of integrating the modern species concepts. I reformulate these ideas into a framework of species concepts as follows: It treats the idea of species as population‐level evolutionary lineages (sensu Wiley 1978 ) as the concept for species category, and it adopts the contingent biological properties of species (e.g. internal reproductive isolation, diagnosability, monophyly) as operational criteria in delimiting species. I also suggest that existing and revised versions of the integrated framework of species concepts all are not new species concepts, but versions of the evolutionary species concept, because they treat the evolutionary (or lineage) species concept as the concept for species category.