喀斯特洞穴物种红点齿蟾的多维度分化模式与驱动机制研究

中国南方广阔的喀斯特洞穴体系为洞穴物种的种群分化机制研究提供了天然实验场。红点齿蟾（无尾目：角蟾科）是真正广泛适应于中国南方喀斯特洞穴的两栖类，具有分布广、生境异质性高、局域适应性强等特点。本项目拟获取覆盖该物种分布区的60个种群的分子样品、形态标本和生态因子等材料，测定600个样品的线粒体基因和简化基因组序列及代表不同谱系的30个种群150个样品的转录组，测量不同种群的形态和生态指标。利用分子系统学、进化生物学、生物地理学、基因组学和生物信息学等方法，推断其谱系分化格局、种群遗传结构、种口动态及表型和生态位分化模型，从而解析其种群分化的多维度的时空模式。结合地质气候资料，通过表型、生态和基因组数据的关联性分析，阐明自然选择和中性进化等在红点齿蟾种群分化中的相对作用机制。综合论述中国南方喀斯特区域环境变迁对该物种分化的影响机理。本项目将为研究喀斯特洞穴物种的演化提供模版和重要基础。

Broad karst regions with mass of caves in the south China supply a natural laboratory for studying the driving mechanisms of diversification in species. The toad Oreolalax rhodostigmatus (Anura: Megophryidae) widely inhabits the karst caves in the south China, and has many significant characteristics for studying diversification in species, such as wide distributional range, high habitat heterogeneity, local adaptation, and so on. In this study, we will collect molecular samples, specimens, and ecological information from 60 populations almost covering the distributional range of the species, and then obtain the mitochondrial gene sequences and simplified genomes from Reduced-Representation Genome Sequencing for 600 samples and transcriptome data of 150 samples from 30 populations representing different lineages, and measure morphological and ecological characters of different populations. Based on methodologies of the molecular systematics, evolutionary biology, biogeography, genomics and bioinformatics and so on, we explore the profiles of lineage divergence, population structure, demographical dynamics and evolutionary patterns of phenotype and niche for inferring the spatial and temporal modes of diversification in this species. Furtherly, with the information of the history of geography and climate in this region, we conduct association and correlated analyses among phenotypical, ecological and genomic datasets for exploring the relative effects of natural selection and neutral evolution. Finally, we comprehensively discuss the impacting mechanism of the environmental changes on cave species in the karst regions of the south China. This study will provide the template and foundation for studying evolutionary history of the cave species.