严酷的青藏高原为何蕴藏丰富的拟步甲种类？--基于裂变选择理论和岛屿生物演化理论的分析和解释

There are 815 tenebrionid species or subspecies recorded in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, and approximately 40% among them are endemic to the Plateau. However, in the relatively smaller area around the Plateau, there currently are 1134 species or subspecies recorded in this family, and approximately 60% species are endemic. In this sense, the development space of species diversity survey is very broad. Why are there abundant tenebrionid species subsis in the harsh Qinghai-Xizang Plateau? How did they speciate? What kind of evolutionary paths did they pass? And what kind of strategies and mechanisms did they take in the formation of species diversity, species differentiation and adaptation? Darkling beetles from the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau are highly differentiate from 3000 to 5000 m a.s.l., and with highly similar morphological characters among the closely related genera or species. How to clarify these phenomena theoretically, this is the motivation of this project. Applicants have been doing study on the species diversity, adaptation, and evolution of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau for a long time, and already achieve some positive results which would laid a good foundation for the implementation of this project. The project aims to carry out the faunal origin, species differentiation, phylogenetics, and biogeography of Tenebrionidae from plateau, based on the morphological, molecular, biological, and biogeographical data. A reasonable explanation will be suggested on that basis, by using the theories of disruptive selection, island biological evolution, historical and phylogenetic biogeography. The results will to promote the studies of insect diversity and adaptive in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau develop rapidly.

青藏高原拟步甲已知815种（亚种），其中特有种占40%，而其周边地区的面积小，却记录有1134种（亚种）拟步甲，且特有种高达约60%，表明该地区物种多样性的调查空间还很大。严酷的青藏高原为何蕴藏如此丰富的拟步甲种类？它们怎样产生并经过怎样的进化方式？其物种多样性的产生、物种的分化和适应采取了怎样的策略和机制？青藏高原拟步甲物种在海拔3000-5000 m的尺度内高度分化，其近缘属、种的体貌特征具有高度相似性，这些现象需要从理论上给予阐明，这就是本课题的动因。申请者长期研究青藏高原拟步甲的物种多样性及适应进化并取得积极成果，为本项目的开展奠定了良好基础。本课题将通过形态、分子、生物学和生物地理学等数据，对该高原拟步甲的区系起源、分化、系统发育、生物地理学等开展研究，进而用裂变选择、岛屿生物演化、历史的和支序的生物地理学理论作出合理性解答，以推动青藏高原昆虫多样性与适应研究向前更快地发展。

本项目聚焦青藏高原拟步甲物种多样性、系统发育和分类地位、分布格局形成与高原适应性等理论问题，在团队共同攻关努力下，取得如下初步成果：.一、揭示拟步甲物种多样性获得重要突破。经对13万件拟步甲标本分类鉴定，加上查证模式和文献整理，获得青藏高原及其毗邻地区拟步甲7亚科61族284属2137种（亚种），其中中国境内6亚科38族148属1018种，境外7亚科46族206属1336种（亚种）；科学新发现1亚族、3属（亚属）、101种（亚种），发现中国新记录3属（亚属）、33种；描述2种雄性新发现；提出24种新异名和新同名；提出2亚种新等级，新组合种2种；指定选模23种；建立了青藏高原及其毗邻地区拟步甲物种数据库。.二、初步揭示了拟步甲科8族属间系统演化关系和分类地位。综合形态、分子、生物学等数据，构建了琵甲族、刺甲族、齿甲族、烁甲族、刺足甲族、高伪叶甲族、莱甲族和垫甲族之间的系统发育关系，并推断了它们的起源和分化时间，分析其物种多样性产生的原因、生存方式和策略，以及机制等问题；应用裂变选择、岛屿生物演化和历史生物地理学等理论对其物种多样性形成做出初步揭示；还利用形态与分子相结合的方法对一些种的幼虫进行了鉴定。.三、分析了青藏高原及其毗邻地区拟步甲的基本区系性质和起源。研究数据显示，青藏高原拟步甲区系成分以中日界+东洋界+古北界的混合种类为主，占比高达 99. 05%；高原特有种高达 66. 9%；推断中亚地区是世界琵甲族的起源中心，泛喜马拉雅地区是世界琵甲族的属、种分化中心，通过裂性自然选择加速高原种快速分化。.四、发表原创性论文22篇（部），其中SCI 15篇，中文核心5篇；完成专著1部《Revision of the genus Bioramix Bates, 1879 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Platyscelidini) from China. Zootaxa. Monograph, 发表中》；完成《泛青藏高原拟步甲志》系列专著一书初稿；论文在全国性学术会议上交流6篇；培养博士生6名，硕士生5名。