中国古代南方大熊猫的基因交流和适应性进化机制

大熊猫的化石记录可追溯到距今至少800万至700万年前，分布范围覆盖中国南部，并延伸至东南地区。近年发表的针对22,000年的大熊猫线粒体基因组以及5,000年的大熊猫全基因组的古DNA研究，极大地拓宽了我们对古代大熊猫谱系发育和种群遗传结构的认知。然而，由于缺乏更古老的高质量核基因组信息，目前对于大熊猫的种群历史动态变化和食性转化的适应性进化机制的认识还较少。对此，本研究已获得22,000-5,000年的13个古代南方大熊猫个体的初步测序数据，包括一个已完成测序的22,000年大熊猫的30倍覆盖度的全基因组数据。结合50个现生大熊猫的全基因组数据以及170个熊科动物的线粒体基因组数据，本研究将进行多学科交叉研究，旨在解析（1）中国南方大熊猫遗传多样性和种群动态变化；（2）大熊猫长期进化过程中表型变异如食性变化的适应性进化机制；（3）中国古代南方大熊猫对现生大熊猫的遗传贡献。

The fossil record of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), covering southern China and extending into the southeast of China, can be dated back to over 8 million to 7 million years before the present (BP). Recent studies obtained the mitochondrial and whole-genomes of the ancient giant panda dating back to 22,000 years and 5,000 years ago BP, respectively, which have greatly broadened our understanding of the phylogenetic relationship and population structure of the ancient giant panda. However, additional high-quality genomes of the ancient giant panda are required for a better understanding of their demographic history and the adaptive evolutionary mechanisms, especially those involved in specific phenotypic traits, such as the feeding habit transformation of giant pandas. Here, we obtained preliminary sequencing data from 13 ancient giant pandas dating back to 5,000 to 22,000 years BP, with one well-preserved and very ancient sample (22,000 BP) sequenced to a coverage of 30 folds on the whole genome. Combined with 50 whole-genomes of present-day giant pandas and 170 mitochondrial sequences of Ursidae, this study will investigate: (1) genetic diversity and the demographic history change of the giant panda in southern China; (2) the adaptive evolutionary mechanisms involve in phenotypic variations such as feeding habits transition of giant pandas in southern China; (3) the genetic contribution of ancient giant pandas to present-day giant pandas in southern China.