基于群体基因组的西藏温泉蛇Thermophis baileyi保护遗传学研究

生物多样性是人类赖以生存和发展的基础，加强生物多样性保护有利于推动生态文明的高质量发展，生物多样性保护的基础是保护遗传多样性。西藏温泉蛇（Thermophis baileyi）是我国青藏高原特有的珍稀蛇类，近年来，由于赖以生存的地热生境遭到破坏，西藏温泉蛇的生存受到严重威胁。为实现对西藏温泉蛇的遗传管理和保护，亟待开展其保护遗传学研究。基因组数据相比于传统遗传标记在解析群体遗传结构、种群历史动态和基因流等方面具有巨大优势，可以提供大量的遗传信息。因此，本项目拟（1）获取西藏温泉蛇多个种群的全基因组水平遗传变异信息，利用群体基因组学方法解析遗传变异水平、群体遗传结构，推断种群历史动态和基因流事件；（2）运用保护遗传学原理，给出划定西藏温泉蛇遗传保护单元的建议。研究将从基因组水平解析西藏温泉蛇的遗传特征，为管理者制定针对该物种及相关高原物种的保护策略提供科学支撑。

Biodiversity is the foundation of human existence and development. Strengthening biodiversity conservation will support and promote the development of high-quality ecological civilization. Conservation of genetic diversity is the foundational basis of biodiversity conservation. Endemic to the Tibetan Plateau in China, the rare hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi) is at imminent risk of extinction due to habitat loss. To maintain and manage the genetic diversity of the hot-spring snake, it is urgent to carry out research on conservation genetics of this species. Compared to classical genetic markers, genome-wide data provide a wealth of genetic information, and have great advantages in resolving population genetic structure, population dynamics as well as gene flows. Thus, in this project, we intend to 1) collect genome-wide genetic information of individuals from different hot-spring snake populations, assess genetic diversity based on population-level genetic variation, population genetic structures, and population dynamics of the species. 2) propose the management unit of hot-spring snake by utilizing the principles of conservation genetics. This project would throw light upon the genetic features of hot-spring snake on the genomic level, and it would provide scientific support for creating protection policies for the hot-spring snakes and related plateau species.