大熊貓是全球最瀕危的哺乳動物之一,。據(jù)資料記載,，從1938年到1988年近50年時間里,，由于受棲息地喪失,、大規(guī)模竹子開花死亡以及獵捕等生態(tài)和人為事件的影響,，野生大熊貓種群數(shù)量急劇下降,，在當時引起全世界對大熊貓命運的關(guān)注，并認為該種群數(shù)量下降將對其種群生存力造成嚴重影響,。
中國科學院動物研究所魏輔文研究員領(lǐng)導的動物生態(tài)與保護遺傳學研究組以1988年《野生動物保護法》頒布實施和1988年最后一次竹子開花為時間節(jié)點,，比較分析了1988年前后大熊貓歷史和現(xiàn)生種群線粒體DNA和微衛(wèi)星變異，發(fā)現(xiàn)其遺傳多樣性和有效種群大小在歷史和現(xiàn)生種群間沒有顯著差異,，說明現(xiàn)生大熊貓種群仍維持較高的遺傳多樣性及進化潛力,。但是，通過模擬未來200年大熊貓遺傳多樣性變化趨勢時顯示,，如果其棲息地破碎化現(xiàn)狀及隔離種群間有限的基因流得不到有效的改善,，其遺傳多樣性將在未來緩慢喪失，會對大熊貓種群生存力產(chǎn)生不利影響,。他們建議,，進一步加大大熊貓棲息地恢復力度并增加棲息地連接度，以促進隔離種群間的基因流,，維持其遺傳多樣性及進化潛力,。研究結(jié)果在Ecology上發(fā)表。
該項目得到國家自然科學基金委員會重點項目（31230011）和中國科學院知識創(chuàng)新工程項目（KSCX2-EW-Z-4）的資助,。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Ecology doi.org/10.1890/12-1451.1
Genetic consequences of historical anthropogenic and ecological events on giant pandas
Lifeng Zhu 1, Yibo Hu 2, Dunwu Qi 3, Hua Wu 4, Xiangjiang Zhan 5, Zhejun Zhang 6, Michael Bruford 7, Jinliang Wang 8, Xuyu Yang 9, Xiaodong Gu 10, Lei Zhang 11, Baowei Zhang 12, Shanning Zhang 13, and Fuwen Wei 14,*
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) was taken to the brink of extinction in the 1980s through a combination of deforestation, large-scale loss of bamboo in the core of its range, poaching, and zoo collection, causing over 1,000 deaths from the 1950s. It was thought that the drastic population decline was likely to impose a severe impact on population viability. Here, based on temporal genotyping of individuals we show that this rapid decline did not significantly reduce the overall effective population size and genetic variation of this species, or of the two focal populations (Minshan and Qionglai) that declined the most. These results are contrary to previously assumptions, probably because the population decline has not produced the expected negative impact because of the short time scale involved (at most 10 generations), or because previous surveys underestimated the population size at the time of decline. However, if present-day habitat fragmentation and limited migration of giant pandas remains, we predict a loss of genetic diversity across the giant pandas' range in the near future. Thus, our findings highlight the substantial resilience of this species when facing demographic and environmental stochasticity, but key conservation strategies, such as enhancing habitat connectivity and habitat restoration should be immediately implemented to retain the extant genetic variation and maintain long-term evolutionary potential of this endangered species.
