树鼩分类研究进展

Advances in the Classification of Tree Shrews

基于树鼩(Tupaia belangeri)与人类有更高亲缘性的论断和其自身特点,使其被迅速开发为模式生物和各种疾病模型。但树鼩分类的研究仍无明确定论,这为其广泛应用埋下了隐患。从古生物学、分子生物学、形态学和表观遗传学等方面讨论了树鼩分类的最新研究进展,并对它们所面临的问题进行了展望:在古生物学方面,新的树鼩化石证据表明,树鼩出现时间较之前的研究早了一倍;在分子生物学方面,利用单分子测序技术所获得的更准确的全基因组序列,为树鼩基因组建树打下了更坚实基础;在形态学方面,通过与小鼠和恒河猴等物种的皮肤解剖结构比较,认为其更亲缘于灵长目。此外,随着表观遗传学理论的逐步完善,为树鼩分类的研究又打开了一扇新的大门。

Based on the conclusion that tree shrews have a higher affinity with human and their own characteristics,tree shrews have been rapidly developed as model organisms and various disease models.However,the classification of tree shrews is still inconclusive,which lays hidden dangers for its wide application.In this paper,the recent advances in taxonomy of tree shrews are discussed from aspects of paleontology,molecular biology,morphology and epigenetics.The problems they are facing are also prospected.In paleontology,new fossil evidence of tree shrews shows that they appeared twice as old as previous studies.In molecular biology,more accurate whole genome sequences are obtained by single molecule sequencing technology,which lays more solid foundation for tree shrew phylogenetic tree;In morphology,it is considered to be more closely related to primates by comparing the skin anatomical structures with mice and rhesus.In addition,with the improvement of epigenetics theory,a new door has been opened for the study of tree shrew classification.