牦牛分类地位研究概述

牦牛的分类地位一直存在着争议,牦牛究竟是属于牛亚科牛属还是属于牛亚科牦牛属,到目前为止还没有形成一个明确的定论.本文通过对牦牛与牛亚科其他属在古生物学证据、形态学特征、血液蛋白多态性、微卫星多态性、mtDNA序列变异、rDNA的RFLP数据和功能基因序列信息等各方面研究资料的比较分析,发现牦牛无论在古生物学证据、形态学特征,还是在分子生物学特征上均表现出与牛属中的普通牛Bos taurus、瘤牛Bos indicus不同,而与美洲野牛Bison bison的亲缘关系更近一些,因此将牦牛划分为牛亚科中1个独立属(即牦牛属),似乎比将牦牛作为牛属中的1个亚属或1个种更合适.

A REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH ON TAXONOMIC STATUS IN YAK (POEPHAGUS)

The taxonomic status of yak are always controversial, till now it has not been definitely conclusion about whether the yak belongs to the genus gus of Bovinae. In this text, comparing the yak with other genus of Bovinae on paleontology evidence, morphologic character, blood protein polymorphism, microsatellite polymorphism, mtDNA sequence variance, rDNA RFLP data and sequence information of function gene, we find that the yak shows difference in Bos taurus, Bos indicus but close with Bison bison either in paleontology evidence, morphologic character or molecular biology character. So it was better to be considered as one independent genus Poephagus than to subgenus Poephagus or a species of Bos.