从1 2S rRNA基因序列探讨8种鳄类的系统学关系

测得扬子鳄（Alligator sinensis）和暹罗鳄（Crocodylus siamensis）,的mtDNA12SrRNA基因片段的部分序列,与GenBank中的2种鳄及文献中4种鳄的12SrRNA基因相应片段,经比对后构建系统树。其结果显示,现存鳄类为单系起源,可划分为3个科,即：鳄科、食鱼鳄科和假食鱼鳄科。食鱼鳄与假食鱼鳄亲缘关系较近,支持将假食鱼鳄作为食鱼鳄科的一个属,与以形态学为基础的研究结果不同。在钝吻鳄科中,扬子鳄与凯门鳄亲缘关系较远,而与密西西比鳄的亲缘关系虽较近,但它们的确存在很多差异。两者12SrRNA基因序列差异达12．12％,碱基的颠换数为9。在基于碱基转换和颠换的NJ系统树及仅基于碱基颠换的NJ系统树中,前者支持扬子鳄与密河鳄间的亲缘关系较近,而后者支持扬子鳄与凯门鳄间的亲缘关系较近,说明扬子鳄与密河鳄间亲缘关系是值得研究的问题。因本文仅根据12SrRNA基因部分序列来进行分析的,尚需进一步研究。     

守护龙脉

扬子鳄在分类上属于鳄目鼍属。鳄类是现存爬行动物中与恐龙亲缘关系最为密切的动物类群,它们在漫长的2亿多年的演化道路上．凭借自己的机智勇敢、高度适应环境和尽力抚养后代的本领．顺利通过生存竞争中一个个要塞险关存活至今．故扬子鳄又有“活化石”的美称。作为古代爬行动物的孓遗类群．对鳄类进行科学研究．分析它们对环境变化的动态适应机制,以及通过它们了解中生代恐龙灭绝之谜等．均具有明显的科学价值。     

关于扬子鱷研究的补充

鳄类起源于古生代而兴盛于中生代,距离今天已经有二百万万年,也就是在没有人类之前它已棲息在地球上了。长江下流一带古时称为扬子海峡,因此产生了扬子鳄的名称。世界上现存的鳄类有23种,大都分布在热带与亚热带地区,如南美、北美、南非、北澳、南亚等地,只有两种棲息于温带。扬子鳄在分类学上为鳄目、嚣科、嚣属。本属共有两种,一种产于北美密斯西比河流域,固名密斯西比鳄(Alligator mississpiensis);另一种即扬子鳄(Alligator sinensis Fauuel)。根据文献,汉口、九江、安庆、芜湖、镇江、苏州、上海等地都有记载,其可靠性如何尚待研究。此二种分布上的距离几乎有地球的半圈。     

基于BDNF和NT-3基因部分序列探讨爬行动物系统发生中的若干问题及扬子鳄分类地位

通过两个核基因NT-3基因(约740 bp)和BDNF基因部分序列(约720 bp)的分析,对爬行动物的系统发生关系中鳄类与鸟类和哺乳类系统发生关系、龟类在爬行动物系统发生中的位置以及扬子鳄属的划分等问题进行探讨.结果表明,在NT-3基因序列中,有307个位点存在变异(约为总位点数的47.3%),BDNF基因序列有256个变异位点(约为38.79%);构建的分子系统树显示,NT-3和BDNF基因以及两序列合并数据后所得系统树的拓扑结构均支持鳄类和鸟类聚为一支构成姐妹群,鳄类与蜥蜴类尽管在形态上非常相似,但它们的亲缘关系仍然较远;同时支持把龟鳖类作为鳄类和鸟类支系的姐妹群,支持把蜥蜴类(有鳞类)放在爬行类系统发生树的基部,而不是龟鳖类作为现代爬行类中最基部的1支.对扬子鳄分类地位的研究结果支持在现存的鳄类中扬子鳄与密西西比鳄的亲缘关系较近的结论.     

评介《扬子鳄》一书

由安徽师范大学陈璧辉等同志编著的《扬子鳄》专著,最近已由安徽科学技术出版社出版,它是作者对我国特产濒危物种扬子鳄进行近十年研究工作的总结。全书约26万字,附有插图159幅、生态彩色照片4版,包括绪论、形态学、生态学和人工饲养与繁殖等四章。绪论一章对扬子鳄的分类地位和系统进化作了简介;概述了从三千多年前至1984年国内外对扬子鳄的研究历史、分布、数量及历史变迁;介绍了有关鳄类形态学、染色体、某些蛋白质和抗体差异性的研究进展,并综合各家观点对世界上现存的21种鳄类的亲缘关系进行了讨论,提出有关系谱图解。     

几种鳄分子系统发生的探讨

百年来关于扬子鳄的分类学位置存在着很多争议,本测得扬子鳄、暹罗鳄和湾鳄的mtDNA ND4和Cytb基因,并从GenBank中获得密西西比鳄和海龟的DN4基因和Cytb基因相应片段。用Clustal X1.8进行对位排列,以海龟为外群构建分子进化系统树。结果显示,在鳄类动物中,扬子鳄与密西西比鳄的亲缘关系最近,两ND4基因序列碱基差异的20．68％,而Cytb基因序列碱基差异为14．43％,但扬子鳄与密西西相比与鳄的分类问题仍将有待进一步探讨。     

扬子鳄：中国的也是世界的

扬子鳄是目前我国现存的唯一特产鳄种，被列为国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物，世界自然保护联盟（IUCN）更是将扬子鳄列为全球23种鳄鲁中最濒危的鳄类。     

鳄类起源进化研究有新突破

中国科学院发育生物学研究所莫鑫泉采用DNA复性动力学方法和DNA分子钟技术在扬子鳄起源和鳄类分子进化研究中,从分子水平上证实扬子鳄与密西鳄之间确曾有亲缘关系。他们从两者基因组结构的比较研究中,发现两者虽然在DNA序列种类复杂性的拷贝数上有较大差异,但总复杂性还是相似的。他们采用自己建立的DNA分子钟技术,测定了各物种从一个共同的祖先那里分枝以后的时间跨度,证明扬子鳄在3500万年前与泰国鳄有一个共同的祖先,在4500万年前与湾     

扬子鳄现状

一、扬子鳄的分布现状和数量扬子鳄(Alligator Sinensis Fauvel 1879)亦称鼍,俗称猪婆龙,因其穴居洞穴内,产区常称之为土龙,是我国珍稀动物,现存鳄类是曾经统治过地球的恐龙的唯一近亲,因此它在动物进化史上和学术上都具有重要意义。1973年联合国在加拿大召开濒危物种保护会议上,认为扬子鳄在野外已基本绝迹,并将其列为世界保护和禁运(禁止贸易)动物,我国政府列为国家一类保护动物。究竟扬子鳄的现状如何?是国内外十分瞩目的问题。     

扬子鳄:中国的也是世界的

扬子鳄是目前我国现存的唯一特产鳄种,被列为国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物,世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)更是将扬子鳄列为全球23种鳄鱼中最濒危的鳄类。扬子鳄有着顽强的生命力,曾与恐龙共同生活过一亿多年并延续至今便是最好的明证。但是,自20世纪中叶以来,随着人类活动影响的逐渐加剧,其种群数量和分布地域呈急速锐减的态势。扬子鳄.这一珍贵的孑遗物种徘徊在了灭绝的边缘。1980年,在精心饲养条件下,扬子鳄产下了中国第一批幼鳄,成为人工饲养条件下繁殖成功的先例。1982年安徽省扬子鳄     

Extreme evolutionary conservation of CaSox4 gene in alligator Alligator sinensis

The SOX genes form a gene family related by homology to the high-mobility-group (HMG) box region of the testis-determining gene, SRY. Using degenerate primer PCR, we have cloned and sequenced the HMG-box motif of CaSox4 gene from genomic DNA of the Chinese alligator, Alligator sinensis, a species closely related to American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. Sequence comparison showed that CaSox4 gene shared 97% homology at the nucleotide level and complete identity at the amino acid level, respectively, with AES4 gene of Alligator mississippiensis. It indicates that the Sox4 gene has been extremely conserved during evolution. The result obtained in the present study strongly suggests that the Sox4 gene did not diverge during the differentiation of two closely related alligators, which are thought to have originated from a common ancestor and have existed largely unchanged for 200-250 Myr.     

试论晚白垩世以来气候、地理等因素的变化对鼍类的进化及地理分布等影响

现存的鼍属只有两个种:即东亚的扬子鳄及北美的密河鳄。虽然这两个种的性质、纬度分布以及生态环境等都十分相似;但两者的水平分布的距离却几有地球的半圈。本文根据有关鼍类的进化、迁徙等的历史资料,对此进行了初步的探讨。     

扬子鳄分子遗传学与遗传多样性研究现状

扬子鳄 (Alligatorsinensis)是中国特有的珍稀物种 ,其遗传资源的保护已受到广泛关注和重视。本文简要介绍了近年来有关扬子鳄在分子系统学、遗传多样性与种群遗传结构、线粒体基因组、个体识别以及性别决定方面的分子遗传学研究状况。     

The complete mitochondrial genome of Alligator mississippiensis and the separation between recent archosauria (birds and crocodiles)

The complete mitochondrial genome of the alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, was sequenced. The size of the molecule is 16,642 nucleotides. Previously reported rearrangements of tRNAs in crocodile mitochondrial genomes were confirmed and, relative to mammals, no other deviations of gene order were observed. The analysis of protein-coding genes of the alligator showed an evolutionary rate that is roughly the same as in mammals. Thus, the evolutionary rate in the alligator is faster than that in birds as well as that in cold-blooded vertebrates. This contradicts hypotheses of constant body temperatures or high metabolic rate being correlated with elevated molecular evolutionary rates. It is commonly acknowledged that birds are the closest living relatives to crocodiles. Birds and crocodiles represent the only archosaurian survivors of the mass extinction at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. On the basis of mitochondrial protein- coding genes, the Haemothermia hypothesis, which defines birds and mammals as sister groups and thus challenges the traditional view, could be rejected. Maximum-likelihood branch length data of amino acid sequences suggest that the divergence between the avian and crocodilian lineages took place at approximately equal to 254 MYA.      

Extreme Evolutionary Conservation of CaSox4 Gene* in Alligator sinensis*

The Sox genes form a gene family related by homology to the high-mobility-group (HMG) box region of the testis-determining gene, SRY.Using degenerate primer PCR, we have cloned and sequenced the HMG-box motif ofCaSox4 gene from genomic DNA of the Chinese alligator,Alligator sinensis, a species closely related to American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. Sequence comparison showed that CaSox4 gene shared 97% homology at the nucleotide level and complete identity at the amino acid level, respectively, withAES4 gene of A. mississippiensis. It indicates that the Sox4gene has been extremely conserved during evolution. The result obtained in the present study strongly suggests that theSox4 gene did not diverge during the differentiation of two closely related alligators, which are thought to have originated from a common ancestor and have existed largely unchanged for 200–250 Myr.     

Genetic diversity of Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) revealed by AFLP analysis: an implication on the management of captive conservation

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is one of the most critically endangered species among 23 extant crocodiles in the world. To prevent the extinction of the species, a captive propagation started at early 1980s, and the total number of alligator was brought up to 10 thousands from dozens of founder in 2000. But several genetic investigations showed those alligators were under an extremely low genetic diversity status with few detectible polymorphic loci. To get more insight into its genetic diversity for the management of captive Chinese alligator, AFLP was adopted to characterize variations in the population. Total of 347 bands were generated from 47 individuals using 3 primer combinations, of which 203 (58.50%) were polymorphic, and 35 AFLP phenotypes were revealed from those individuals. Comparing the results between RAPD and AFLP analysis on almost same sample set clearly indicated that AFLP is more efficient in revealing polymorphic loci, especially in those populations with extremely low genetic diversity. In present three assays, electrophoresis profile also displayed 3 individuals possessing very highly polymorphic AFLP phenotypes that were never been found by RAPD and mtDNA D-loop sequencing, implicating that we should offer these individuals more breeding opportunities to maintain the genetic diversity in the population and restrict those carrying few polymorphic loci from reproduction.     

Nest Site Preference and Fidelity of Chinese Alligator(Alligator sinensis)

Oviparous female reptiles select nesting sites with optimal ecological factors that contribute to egg development. Chinese alligator(Alligator sinensis), an oviparous reptile, is a critically endangered crocodilian with temperature-dependent sex determination. Research on its nesting behavior may facilitate the protection of this species. In this study, we monitored nesting behavior over eight years. We compared selected frequency of nest sites, distance from nest site to water, height from nest site top to the water surface, distance from nest site to human activity region, and canopy density between nest sites on the island and bank. The results showed that 45 nest sites were used by female alligators over eight years and each site was selected from one to 10 times. The selected frequency of nest site occurrence on the island was higher than that on the bank(P 0.001). We observed that 88% of the individual alligators(15/17) showed different degrees of nest site fidelity. However, Chinese alligators might not always be loyal to only one nest site because of environmental changes or interspecific competition at nest sites. Our findings suggest that female alligators prefer to nest at island, which might be because of the nests on the island had a higher canopy density(P = 0.010) and were further from the human activity region(P 0.001) than those on the bank did. It would be beneficial to reduce human activities during the breeding season and protect the vegetation of Chinese alligator habitats in the future. of the beach(Ali et al., 2005; Kamel and Mrosovsky, 2005; Turkozan et al., 2012). Other species such as snakes and lizards select nest sites with more moist substrates, which significantly increases their body size at hatching(Brown and Shine, 2004; Reedy et al., 2013). Nest site preference may be maintained for one or more breeding seasons(Janzen and Morjan, 2001; Kamel et al., 2006). When female chose the same site or area during different years, it is called nest site fidelity(Switzer, 1993). This nest choice behavior may influence offspring survival(Lindeman, 1992) and nest site fidelity has been documented in numerous species such as birds(Lindberg and Sedinger, 1997), turtles(Mitrus, 2006; Walde et al., 2007), tuatara(Refsnider et al., 2010), and crocodilians(Elsey et al., 2008).Chinese alligator(Alligator sinensis) is a critically endangered freshwater crocodilian endemic to China(Thorbjarnarson and Wang, 1999). Recent investigations show that there are no more than 130 Chinese alligators     

扬子鳄胚胎发育分期

本文基于150例不同胎龄的扬子鳄胚胎,将扬子鳄胚胎发育过程分成28个时期。早期胚胎主要以外部形态如体节、体曲程度、脑泡、感觉器官、附肢、鳃弓、颜面部突起、心脏、皮肤等作为分期标准;晚期胚胎主要以器官发育的组织学指标为分期依据。发现在前20个时期中,每个时期的胎龄与密河鳄的很一致,后8个时期的胎龄与密河鳄有差异。分析认为,鳄类晚期胚胎的分期依据应增加器官发育的组织学指标,以便使不同鳄类的胚胎发育有一致的分期标准,为鳄类发育生物学后续研究提供基础资料。     

A bacterial artificial chromosome library for the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a rare and endangered species endemic to China. To better understand genetic details of the Chinese alligator genomic structure, a highly redundant bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library was constructed. This library consists of 216,238 clones with an average insert size of about 90kb, indicating that the library contains 6.8-fold genome equivalents. Subsequently, we constructed a 516kb contig map for the Chinese alligator olfactory receptor (OR) genes, which spans nine BAC clones, and subjected the BACs to full sequencing. The sequence analysis revealed that this contig contained 16 OR functional genes and meanwhile demonstrated that the nine BACs, which constituted the contig, overlapped correctly, proving the usability of this genome library. As a result, this BAC library could provide a useful platform for physical mapping, genome sequencing or complex analysis of targeted genomic regions for this rare species.