Molecular phylogeography and evolutionary origin of brown beats in Central Asia and Baikalian regions

本研究揭示了欧亚大陆内侧棕熊种群具有有趣的线粒体DNA （mtDNA）谱系，这是远东、北美和欧洲尚未发现的。特别是来自中亚的戈壁人群和西藏人群分别具有特定的mtDNA类型。此外，另一个mtDNA谱系在贝加尔湖周围广泛分布。同时，由于获得了一些更新世熊类化石样本，目前正在进行古DNA分析，以研究欧亚大陆棕熊系统地理的时空变化。作为日本和俄罗斯研究人员的合作，2002年10月，增田博士（本研究的首席研究员）访问了俄罗斯科学院动物研究所（位于俄罗斯圣彼得堡）的alexei Abramov博士（合作研究员），他们一起收集了俄罗斯棕熊的样本。然后，他们去了俄罗斯农业科学院野生动物管理和毛皮养殖研究所（位于俄罗斯基洛夫），参加了关于保护哺乳动物多样性的研讨会。在那里，他们就熊的研究进行了成功的科学讨论和交流。2003年7月，增田博士、大立博士（研究员）和阿布拉莫夫博士访问了外贝加尔湖（贝加尔湖东部地区），考察了棕熊和其他哺乳动物栖息地的自然环境。2004年，增田博士邀请了Abratnov博士，他在11月和12月期间住在北海道大学。然后，他们讨论了从欧洲、西伯利亚到远东和北海道的棕熊的遗传和形态数据，并与古环境变化进行了比较。

The present study revealed that the brown bear populations of inner sides of the Eurasian Continent have interesting mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages which have not been identified from Far East, North America and Europe. Especially, the Gobi population from Central Asia and the Tibetan population have specific mtDNA types, respectively. In addition, another lineage of mtDNA is distributed widely around the Baikal Lake. Meanwhile, because some samples of Pleistocene bear fossils were obtained, ancient DNA analysis is now going on for investigation of spatial and temporal changes of brown bearphylogeography in Eurasia.As the collaboration between Japanese and Russian researchers, in October of 2002, Dr.Masuda (Head investigator of the present study) visited Dr.Alexei Abramov (Collaborative investigator) of the Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences (located in St.Petersburg, Russia) and they together collected samples of Russian brown bears. Then, they went to the Research Institute of Game Management and Fur Farming of Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (located in Kirov, Russia) and had a seminar on conservation of mammalian diversity. There they had successful scientific discussions and communications on bear researches. In July of 2003, Dr.Masuda, Dr.Ohdachi (Investigator) and Dr.Abramov visited Transbaikalia (eastern region of the Baikal Lake) and had an expedition for observation of natural environments of habitats for the brown bear and other mammalian species. In 2004, Dr.Masuda invited Dr Abratnov and he stayed at Hokkaido University during November and December. Then, they discussed the genetic and morphological data of brown bears from Europe, through Siberia, to Far East and Hokkaido, compared with paleoenvironmental changes.