人工饲养长江江豚的同性性行为和自慰行为

雌雄性之间的性行为对鲸类的生存和繁衍有着极其重要的意义。然而不具有繁殖功能的同性性行为和自慰行为在多种鲸类中存在。因此对鲸类非繁殖性性行为研究,将有助于深入认识该物种性行为特点和规律,并解决室内饲养可能存在的问题以及促进可控性人工繁殖的成功。本研究以人工饲养的7头长江江豚为研究对象,定义并描述了14种性行为。其中,同性之间的性行为定义为同性性行为,雌雄个体单独的性行为定义为自慰行为。雄性同性性行为发现于所有定义的性行为中,但雌性同性性行为仅在7种性行为中观察到。同性性行为（3633次）占总性行为（5563次）的65.31%,自慰行为（254次）占4.57%。同性性行为中,雄性之间的同性性行为（3438次,94.63%）远多于雌性同性性行为（195次,5.37%）。两头有父子关系的江豚（阿福和淘淘）之间的雄性同性性行为最多（1921次,55.88%）,雄性江豚之间的同性性行为可能存在结盟竞争关系或教育练习作用。两头青少年雌豚（F7和F9）之间的同性性行为最活跃（117次,60.00%）,雌性江豚之间的同性性行为很可能具有结伴交流的功能。     

昆虫行为的左右非对称性研究进展

大脑和行为的左右非对称性一直以来被认为是人类特有的,现在广泛存在于脊椎动物中,而近期又发现无脊椎动物中也存在行为偏侧性。近年来大量研究表明,群居型昆虫的嗅觉行为和大脑的非对称性表现在种群水平上,少数散居型昆虫行为的非对称性往往表现在个体水平上。当前,昆虫行为的单侧性是一个重要的研究领域,有助于对生物多样性中单侧性的早期起源有一个更深刻的认识,对探索昆虫进化发展具有重要的科学意义。对大多数昆虫而言,行为的偏侧性都是通过对触角的左右非对称性研究来实现的,触角作为昆虫感觉系统的重要组成部分,在昆虫寄主定位、识别、取食、觅偶、交配、繁殖、栖息、防御与迁移、稳定飞行速率等社会性行为过程中起着极为重要的作用。本文回顾了国内外膜翅目、双翅目、半翅目、蜚蠊目和直翅目昆虫行为非对称性研究的最新进展,有助于分析不同种类昆虫在进化历史上的相似性以及探讨昆虫在个体水平和群体水平上的进化差异。     

半翅目昆虫线粒体基因组学研究进展

线粒体基因组广泛应用于昆虫系统发育、分子进化、种群遗传学及谱系地理学等众多研究领域.半翅目是昆虫纲外翅部中最大的一个目,具有重要的经济意义.目前,已对100种半翅目昆虫进行了线粒体基因组测序,其中81种在中国完成测序.本文综述了半翅目昆虫线粒体基因学研究的已有成果,比较分析了半翅目昆虫线粒体基因组的基本特征,包括基因组大小、基因含量、基因重排、碱基组成、密码子使用、蛋白质编码基因的进化模式、RNA基因及非编码区,并系统总结了线粒体基因组数据在半翅目昆虫系统进化研究中的应用现状.最后,针对线粒体基因组的获得、注释和应用过程中存在的问题进行了讨论,并提出了今后半翅目昆虫线粒体基因组学的研究重点.     

鳞翅目昆虫Hemolin蛋白的研究进展

鳞翅目(Lepidoptera)是昆虫纲的第二大目,属完全变态的昆虫。在此目昆虫的进化过程中独立进化出一种免疫球蛋白家族成员,即Hemolin蛋白。前人在Hemolin蛋白的研究上积累了大量的信息,但仍存在着许多问题,有些问题还存在着矛盾。Hemolin蛋白在鳞翅目昆虫免疫与发育过程中起着非常重要的作用,研究Hemolin蛋白对理解昆虫的免疫和发育有着重要的意义。文中主要对Hemolin蛋白、Hemolin蛋白的功能及其表达调控的信号通路等方面做了一些梳理和总结,并结合自己的研究提出了一些新的观点。     

昆虫毒蕈碱型乙酰胆碱受体研究进展

毒蕈碱型乙酰胆碱受体（muscarinic acetylcholine receptor,mAchR）是昆虫神经系统中一种十分重要的神经递质受体,属于G蛋白偶联受体超家族,与配体结合后激活G蛋白并通过胞内第二信使产生生物学效应,参与昆虫多种神经生理功能,是农药开发的一个潜在靶标。昆虫毒蕈碱型乙酰胆碱受体的研究,有助于提高昆虫神经生理及行为调节机制等方面的认识,并为以此为靶标的新型杀虫剂研制提供新思路。本文综述了国内外对昆虫毒蕈碱型乙酰胆碱受体的研究概况,并对GenBank中已上传的昆虫mAchR序列进行了分子进化分析,最后对昆虫mAchR研究中存在的问题及前景进行了分析和展望。     

植菌昆虫与其共生真菌协同进化分子机制

昆虫菌业（fungiculture）是一种类似于人类种植业的昆虫种植体系,包括种植、耕作、收获和营养依赖4个过程,可分为高级的社会性昆虫如切叶蚂蚁、白蚁等和低级的非社会性昆虫如食菌小蠹虫、卷叶象甲、蜥蜴甲虫、树蜂等,它们均能种植并取食真菌。近年来随着组学及微生物组技术的发展,植菌昆虫与其共生真菌协同进化的分子机制研究方面取得了重要进展。系统发育分析阐明了植菌昆虫的起源与进化历程,并显示出与共生真菌系统发育的一致性;共生真菌细胞核数量也从双核增加到最多17个核,而染色体倍型也从单倍体增加为二倍体甚至多倍体;组学分析则揭示了植菌昆虫与其共生真菌在精氨酸、碳水化合物、木质素及几丁质合成或降解等方面显示出了高度的协同进化。本文系统综述了植菌昆虫及其共生真菌的系统进化、核进化及基因组进化进展,并探讨这种协同进化机制的生物学意义。     

昆虫孤雌生殖起源的遗传机制和进化意义

孤雌生殖在昆虫纲中有很高的发生比例,昆虫的孤雌生殖能力是造成农林灾害的一个重要而常被忽视的因素.孤雌生殖物种的存在和维持在进化生物学领域是个令人困惑的话题.在一些物种中孤雌生殖的细胞学机制得到了研究和解释,但是对于从两性生殖转换到孤雌生殖的遗传机制却知之甚少.了解孤雌生殖起源的遗传机制和进化意义对于预防农林虫害有着重要的意义.因此,该文就近年来对昆虫孤雌生殖起源的遗传和进化意义的研究做以综述,并就可能的利用前景进行简单讨论.     

论昆虫空间生态学研究

空间特征是昆虫生态学研究的热点之一 ,具有重要的理论与应用意义。该文从理论、尺度、时空动态模型、技术手段及研究热点几个方面概述近期昆虫空间生态学研究进展。主要理论包括概率及统计模型、地学统计学、景观生态学、集合种群生态学 ;研究技术涉及地理信息系统、遥感、计算机辅助分析等。简要论述研究的空间尺度问题 ,介绍空间分子生态、进化生态等新研究热点在昆虫空间生态领域的发展 ,并分析昆虫空间生态学存在的问题和发展趋势。     

昆虫假死行为研究历史及现状

假死行为广泛存在于动物界的各个类群中。作为一种防御性行为,假死对于提高一些物种的存活率具有明显的适应性价值。文章从假死行为的功能、发生、发育及进化等4个方面综述昆虫纲假死行为研究的历史及现状,提出了假死行为是一种特殊拟态的观点,并对今后假死行为的研究提出建议。     

昆虫标本馆建设与昆虫系统学的未来

昆虫标本馆是昆虫标本的保藏、研究和科学教育的实体,代表国家或者区域水平,致力于研究昆虫多样性、揭示昆虫进化规律,为国民经济建设持续发展服务。昆虫系统学研究是昆虫标本馆研究人员的主要任务,它的发展与昆虫标本馆的建设唇齿相依。本文阐述了昆虫标本馆的功能与作用,建设昆虫标本馆的重要性和迫切性;展望了昆虫系统学的未来以及昆虫系统学发展的机遇。     

Homosexual behavior in primates: A review of evidence and theory

Homosexual behavior is defined as genital contact, genital manipulation or both between same-sex individuals. Available data indicate that this behavior is phylogenetically widespread among the anthropoid primates, but totally absent among prosimians. The majority of the 33 species that demonstrate homosexual behavior do so rarefy, but for a substantial number (N =12) it appears to be a more common pattern under free-ranging conditions. I summarize data on homosexual behavior as it relates to form, living condition, age, sex, social organization, and ecological context, and discuss hormonal, demographic, and sociosexual theories for primate homosexual behavior. Among adult primates, the behavior is not the product of abnormal excesses or deficiencies in androgens. Prenatal excesses of androgens may have some effect on the expression of female homosexual behavior, but these effects might vary over the life span, and data are equivocal at present. Demographic processes that result in skewed sex ratios can favor the expression of homosexual behavior in a population, which causes intraspecific variation. I examine several sociosexual explanations, including (a) proceptivity enhancement, (b) receptivity reduction, (c) dominance assertion, (d) practice for heterosexual copulation, (e) tension regulation, (f) reconciliation, and (g) alliance formation. An evolutionary scenario highlights the transformations this behavior underwent during the evolution of the anthropoid primates. I suggest exaptation as a theoretical framework for interpreting homosexual behavior and conclude that future consideration of sexual selection among primates should address homosexual components of this process.     

Homosexual behavior in primates: A review of evidence and theory

Homosexual behavior is defined as genital contact, genital manipulation or both between same-sex individuals. Available data indicate that this behavior is phylogenetically widespread among the anthropoid primates, but totally absent among prosimians. The majority of the 33 species that demonstrate homosexual behavior do so rarefy, but for a substantial number (N =12) it appears to be a more common pattern under free-ranging conditions. I summarize data on homosexual behavior as it relates to form, living condition, age, sex, social organization, and ecological context, and discuss hormonal, demographic, and sociosexual theories for primate homosexual behavior. Among adult primates, the behavior is not the product of abnormal excesses or deficiencies in androgens. Prenatal excesses of androgens may have some effect on the expression of female homosexual behavior, but these effects might vary over the life span, and data are equivocal at present. Demographic processes that result in skewed sex ratios can favor the expression of homosexual behavior in a population, which causes intraspecific variation. I examine several sociosexual explanations, including (a) proceptivity enhancement, (b) receptivity reduction, (c) dominance assertion, (d) practice for heterosexual copulation, (e) tension regulation, (f) reconciliation, and (g) alliance formation. An evolutionary scenario highlights the transformations this behavior underwent during the evolution of the anthropoid primates. I suggest exaptation as a theoretical framework for interpreting homosexual behavior and conclude that future consideration of sexual selection among primates should address homosexual components of this process.     

社会性昆虫级型和行为分化机制研究进展

社会性的出现是生物演化过程中的重要革新, 理解社会性的演化和调控机制具有重要的理论和实际意义。社会性昆虫的个体间有着明显的级型分化和劳动分工, 这有利于它们适应复杂的环境变化。理解社会性昆虫如何产生不同的形态、行为和生活史特性, 一直是进化和发育生物学的重要目标。随着测序技术的不断更新及生物信息学的快速发展, 已经有众多关于社会性昆虫级型和行为分化机制的研究报道。本文通过整理社会性昆虫研究的已有成果, 从环境因素、生理调控和分子机制等方面对社会性昆虫级型和行为分化机制相关研究进展进行了综述, 并对未来的研究方向做出了展望。根据现有证据, 社会性昆虫所生活的生物环境(食物营养、信息素、表皮碳氢化合物)和非生物环境(温度、气候等)均能直接或间接影响社会性昆虫级型和行为的分化; 保幼激素、蜕皮激素、类胰岛素及生物胺等内分泌激素和神经激素对社会性昆虫的级型和行为分化也有重要的调控作用; 此外, 遗传因素、新基因等DNA序列或基因组结构上的变化以及表观遗传修饰、基因的差异表达等基因调控机制均能不同程度地影响社会性昆虫的行为分化。本文建议加强昆虫纲其他社会性类群如半翅目蚜虫和缨翅目蓟马等的社会性行为及其演化机制的研究, 以加深对社会性昆虫起源及其行为演化的理解和认识。     

Tyrosine metabolic enzymes from insects and mammals：A comparative perspective

Differences in the metabolism of tyrosine between insects and mammals present an interesting example of molecular evolution. Both insects and mammals possess finetuned systems of enzymes to meet their specific demands for tyrosine metabolites; however, more homologous enzymes involved in tyrosine metabolism have emerged in many insect species. Without knowledge of modem genomics, one might suppose that mammals, which are generally more complex than insects and require tyrosine as a precur sor for important catecholamine neurotransmitters and for melanin, should possess more enzymes to control tyrosine metabolism. Therefore, the question of why insects actually possess more tyrosine metabolic enzymes is quite interesting. It has long been known that insects rely heavily on tyrosine metabolism for cuticle hardening and for innate immune responses, and these evolutionary constraints are likely the key answers to this question. In terms of melanogenesis, mammals also possess a high level of regulation; yet mam malian systems possess more mechanisms for detoxification whereas insects accelerate pathways like melanogenesis and therefore must bear increased oxidative pressure. Our research group has had the opportunity to characterize the structure and function of many key proteins involved in tyrosine metabolism from both insects and mammals. In this mini review we will give a brief overview of our research on tyrosine metabolic enzymes in the scope of an evolutionary perspective of mammals in comparison to insects.     

微生物对昆虫行为的影响研究进展

在漫长的进化过程中,微生物与昆虫形成了多种形式的互作关系。微生物的广泛分布为与昆虫接触并影响昆虫的行为提供了背景条件。为了深入探究微生物影响昆虫行为的现象和机制,本文综述了微生物影响昆虫行为方面的研究进展。微生物通过产生可被昆虫识别的化学信号物质、参与昆虫或寄主植物信息化合物的合成等方式可影响昆虫对其寄主的定位和选择。在对昆虫种内和种间关系的研究中也发现微生物起着非常重要的作用。通过改变昆虫性信息素等方式,微生物还能影响到昆虫的繁殖行为;除此之外,微生物合成或参与合成的信息化合物还可以影响昆虫的社会性和聚集等行为。根据当前对微生物影响昆虫行为方面的研究现状,我们建议可进一步研究：(1)微生物影响昆虫行为的过程中,影响昆虫行为的信息化合物是如何产生的？(2)微生物在影响昆虫行为的过程中是否涉及更多的物种间互作？(3)对于一些在特定时期可影响昆虫行为的共生微生物来说,宿主昆虫是如何获得并维持这些微生物的？     

Humans and insects decide in similar ways

Behavioral ecologists assume that animals use a motivational mechanism for decisions such as action selection and time allocation, allowing the maximization of their fitness. They consider both the proximate and ultimate causes of behavior in order to understand this type of decision-making in animals. Experimental psychologists and neuroeconomists also study how agents make decisions but they consider the proximate causes of the behavior. In the case of patch-leaving, motivation-based decision-making remains simple speculation. In contrast to other animals, human beings can assess and evaluate their own motivation by an introspection process. It is then possible to study the declared motivation of humans during decision-making and discuss the mechanism used as well as its evolutionary significance. In this study, we combine both the proximate and ultimate causes of behavior for a better understanding of the human decision-making process. We show for the first time ever that human subjects use a motivational mechanism similar to small insects such as parasitoids and bumblebees to decide when to leave a patch. This result is relevant for behavioral ecologists as it supports the biological realism of this mechanism. Humans seem to use a motivational mechanism of decision making known to be adaptive to a heterogeneously distributed resource. As hypothesized by Hutchinson et al. and Wilke and Todd, our results are consistent with the evolutionary shaping of decision making because hominoids were hunters and gatherers on food patches for more than two million years. We discuss the plausibility of a neural basis for the motivation mechanism highlighted here, bridging the gap between behavioral ecology and neuroeconomy. Thus, both the motivational mechanism observed here and the neuroeconomy findings are most likely adaptations that were selected for during ancestral times.     

Effects of Environmental and Social Conditions on Homosexual Pairing in the Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica Newman)

Homosexual pairing between males occurs under natural conditions in a wide variety of taxa, including many insect species, but few studies have investigated how environmental and social conditions affect same-sex pairing in insects. We investigated factors affecting homosexual pairing in male Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman) in the field and in the laboratory. Specifically, we investigated how time of day, sex ratio, beetle density, and temperature affected the likelihood of homosexual pairing. In the field, male–male pairs constituted 1–6% of the pairs we collected. Homosexual pairs were more common in the afternoon than in the morning and the evening. Sex ratio, density, and temperature were all related to the likelihood of finding a homosexual pair, but the relationships were not linear. In the laboratory, higher male densities and relatively male-biased sex ratios were associated with an increase in the frequency of homosexual pairs. Homosexual pairs were more frequent at relatively low and relatively high temperatures. Males that mounted other males tended to be smaller than the males that they mounted. In addition, compared to males that were not homosexually paired, there was some indication that the mounting males were smaller, and the mounted males larger, than the unpaired males. Our data suggest that homosexual pairs are a result of males mistaking other males for females, and we hypothesize that the environmental and social factors cause changes in homosexual pairing through their effects on the frequency of pair formation and pair duration.     

The evolution of a social construction: the case of male homosexuality

Male homosexuality has been viewed by evolutionary psychologists as a Darwinian paradox, and by other social scientists as a social construction. We argue that it is better understood as an evolutionary social construction. Male homosexuality as we now know it is an 18th-century invention, but nonexclusive same-sex sexual behavior has a long evolutionary history. According to the alliance-formation hypothesis, same-sex sexuality evolved by natural selection because it created or strengthened male-male alliances and allowed low-status males to reposition themselves in the group hierarchy and thereby increase their reproductive success. This hypothesis makes sense of some odd findings about male homosexuality and helps to explain the rise in exclusive male homosexuality in the 18th century. The sociohistorical conditions around 1700 may have resulted in an increase in same-sex sexual behavior. Cultural responses to same-sex sexuality led to the spread of exclusive homosexual behavior and to the creation of a homosexual identity. Understanding male homosexuality as an evolutionary social construction can help us move beyond the traditionally polarized debate between evolutionary psychologists and social constructionists.     

Genome‐wide survey of nuclear protein‐coding markers for beetle phylogenetics and their application in resolving both deep and shallow‐level divergences

Beetles (Coleoptera) are the most diverse and species‐rich insect group, representing an impressive explosive radiation in the evolutionary history of insects, and their evolutionary relationships are often difficult to resolve. The amount of ‘traditional markers’ (e.g. mitochondrial genes and nuclear rDNAs) for beetle phylogenetics is small, and these markers often lack sufficient signals in resolving relationships for such a rapidly radiating lineage. Here, based on the available genome data of beetles and other related insect species, we performed a genome‐wide survey to search nuclear protein‐coding (NPC) genes suitable for research on beetle phylogenetics. As a result, we identified 1470 candidate loci, which provided a valuable data resource to the beetle evolutionary research community for NPC marker development. We randomly chose 180 candidate loci from the database to design primers and successfully developed 95 NPC markers which can be PCR amplified from standard genomic DNA extracts. These new nuclear markers are universally applicable across Coleoptera, with an average amplification success rate of 90%. To test the phylogenetic utility, we used them to investigate the backbone phylogeny of Coleoptera (18 families sampled) and the family Coccinellidae (39 species sampled). Both phylogenies are well resolved (average bootstrap support >95%), showing that our markers can be used to address phylogenetic questions of various evolutionary depth (from species level to family level). In general, the newly developed nuclear markers are much easier to use and more phylogenetically informative than the ‘traditional markers’, and show great potential to expedite resolution of many parts in the Beetle Tree of Life.     

Simulation of Genomes: A Review

There is an increasing role of population genetics in human genetic research linking empirical observations with hypotheses about sequence variation due to historical and evolutionary causes. In addition, the data sets are increasing in size, with genome-wide data becoming a common place in many empirical studies. As far as more information is available, it becomes clear that simplest hypotheses are not consistent with data. Simulations will provide the key tool to contrast complex hypotheses on real data by generating simulated data under the hypothetical historical and evolutionary conditions that we want to contrast. Undoubtedly, developing tools for simulating large sequences that at the same time allow simulate natural selection, recombination and complex demography patterns will be of great interest in order to better understanding the trace left on the DNA by different interacting evolutionary forces. Simulation tools will be also essential to evaluate the sampling properties of any statistics used on genome-wide association studies and to compare performance of methods applied at genome-wide scales. Several recent simulation tools have been developed. Here, we review some of the currently existing simulators which allow for efficient simulation of large sequences on complex evolutionary scenarios. In addition, we will point out future directions in this field which are already a key part of the current research in evolutionary biology and it seems that it will be a primary tool in the future research of genome and post-genomic biology.