Carotenoids, which generate yellow, orange, and red colors, are crucial pigments in avian plumage. Investigations into genes associated with carotenoid- based coloration in avian species are important; however, such r...Carotenoids, which generate yellow, orange, and red colors, are crucial pigments in avian plumage. Investigations into genes associated with carotenoid- based coloration in avian species are important; however, such research is difficult because carotenoids cannot be synthetized in vertebrates as they are only derived from dietary sources. Here, the golden pheasant （Chrysolophus pictus） was used as a model in analysis of candidate gene expression profiles implicated in carotenoid binding and deposition. Using mass and Raman spectrometry to confirm the presence of carotenoids in golden pheasant feathers, we found C40H540 and C40H5602 in feathers with yellow to red colors, and in the rachis of iridescent feathers. The global gene expression profiles in golden pheasant skins were analyzed by RNA-seq and all six carotenoid binding candidate genes sequenced were studied by real- time PCR. STAR4, GSTA2, Scarbl, and APOD in feather follicles showed different expressions in red breast and orange nape feathers compared with that of iridescent mantle feathers. Further comparison of golden pheasant yellow rump and Lady Amherst＇s pheasant （Chrysolophus amherstiae） white nape feathers suggested that GSTA2 and APOD played a potential role in carotenoid-based coloration in golden pheasant.展开更多
Background: Flight is the central avian adaptation in evolution. Wing muscles form an important anatomical basis for avian flight, affecting wing performance and determine modes of flight. However, the roles of distal...Background: Flight is the central avian adaptation in evolution. Wing muscles form an important anatomical basis for avian flight, affecting wing performance and determine modes of flight. However, the roles of distal muscles in adjusting the wing, as well as their functional specializations, remain largely unknown. The importance of muscle fiber architecture has long been recognized. In this study, we provide quantitative anatomical data on the muscle architecture of the forelimb of the Golden Pheasant(Chrysolophus pictus), with an emphasis on brachial,antebrachial and manual segments.Methods: The forelimbs of five Golden Pheasants were dissected and detailed measurements of all muscles were made, including muscle mass, muscle belly length, fascicle length. From these values, muscle volume, physiological cross-sectional area(PCSA) and maximum isometric force were derived.Results: General trends such as the distribution of muscle mass, fascicle length and the ratio of tendon length/belly length are revealed. Comparing PCSAs between antebrachial depressors and elevators and between intrinsics of the alular digit and major digit yielded significant differences(p < 0.05). Pronounced development of the antebrachial depressors suggests that ventral rotation of the distal half of the wing is a pivotal factor in shape change and orientation modulation. Large PCSAs in tandem with the force generation capability of the major digit intrinsics may help stabilize the digits while enhancing support of the primary feathers. The architectural properties of the alular digit confirm that alular adjustment is essential to rapid adduction and abduction.Conclusions: These observations illustrate the underlying structural basis for the functional capacities of the distal forelimb muscles and may provide additional information useful in further biomechanical and in vivo investigations.展开更多
Understanding speciation has long been a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology.It is widely accepted that speciation requires an interruption of gene flow to generate strong reproductive isolation between species.T...Understanding speciation has long been a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology.It is widely accepted that speciation requires an interruption of gene flow to generate strong reproductive isolation between species.The mechanism of how speciation in sexually dichromatic species operates in the face of gene flow remains an open question.Two species in the genus Chrysolophus,the Golden Pheasant(C.pictus)and Lady Amherst’s Pheasant(C.amherstiae),both of which exhibit significant plumage dichromatism,are currently parapatric in southwestern China with several hybrid recordings in field.In this study,we estimated the pattern of gene flow during the speciation of the two pheasants using the Approximate Bayesian Computation(ABC)method based on data from multiple genes.Using a newly assembled de novo genome of Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and resequencing of widely distributed individuals,we reconstructed the demographic history of the two pheasants by the PSMC(pairwise sequentially Markovian coalescent)method.The results provide clear evidence that the gene flow between the two pheasants was consistent with the predictions of the isolation with migration model during divergence,indicating that there was long-term gene flow after the initial divergence(ca.2.2 million years ago).The data further support the occurrence of secondary contact between the parapatric populations since around 30 kya with recurrent gene flow to the present,a pattern that may have been induced by the population expansion of the Golden Pheasant in the late Pleistocene.The results of the study support the scenario of speciation between the Golden Pheasant and Lady Amherst’s Pheasant with cycles of mixing-isolation-mixing,possibly due to the dynamics of geographical context in the late Pleistocene.The two species provide a good research system as an evolutionary model for testing reinforcement selection in speciation.展开更多
?College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China)Golden pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus) is a monotypic and special species of China.In nature, it breeds once a year in spring summer.From O...?College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China)Golden pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus) is a monotypic and special species of China.In nature, it breeds once a year in spring summer.From Oct.1998 to Feb.1999, we studied the effects of photo periods on inducing the birds to reproduce in winter and succeeded.In the experiment, 36 adult females and 18 males were divided into three groups.Each group was divided into 6 replicates, each replicate included 2 females and 1 male, and fed in one cage.All the groups were exposed to short day (8L∶16D) for 8 weeks, and then transferred to long day (12L∶12D, 14L∶10D or 16L∶8D). In result, photoperiods significantly affected Golden pheasant reproductive performance in winter.Considered of all of the reproductive performance indicators, the reproductive performance of the group exposure to 14L∶10D was the best, the 16L∶8D group’s was less and the 12L∶12D group’s was the worst.It may be that the birds’ CDL (critical day length) for inducing egg production was about 12 h, and the CDL for optimal egg production was 14L∶10D in winter. The birds exposed to 12L∶12D had no fertilized egg.The other groups had fertilized eggs and the fertility was 15 05% (14L∶10D) and 20 41% (16L∶8D).The hatchability of fertilized egg were 76 47% (14L∶10D) and 80 00% (16L∶8D). The egg laying pattern was affected by the size of photoperiod.The ratio of lay of the birds exposed to 14L∶10D, increased rapidly and sustained in a peak level for 5 weeks, and then fall down.But the other birds (group A and C) increased to the peak at the first week and then fall down quickly.展开更多
基金supported by the 2014 Fundamental Research Program from Science and Technology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China
文摘Carotenoids, which generate yellow, orange, and red colors, are crucial pigments in avian plumage. Investigations into genes associated with carotenoid- based coloration in avian species are important; however, such research is difficult because carotenoids cannot be synthetized in vertebrates as they are only derived from dietary sources. Here, the golden pheasant （Chrysolophus pictus） was used as a model in analysis of candidate gene expression profiles implicated in carotenoid binding and deposition. Using mass and Raman spectrometry to confirm the presence of carotenoids in golden pheasant feathers, we found C40H540 and C40H5602 in feathers with yellow to red colors, and in the rachis of iridescent feathers. The global gene expression profiles in golden pheasant skins were analyzed by RNA-seq and all six carotenoid binding candidate genes sequenced were studied by real- time PCR. STAR4, GSTA2, Scarbl, and APOD in feather follicles showed different expressions in red breast and orange nape feathers compared with that of iridescent mantle feathers. Further comparison of golden pheasant yellow rump and Lady Amherst＇s pheasant （Chrysolophus amherstiae） white nape feathers suggested that GSTA2 and APOD played a potential role in carotenoid-based coloration in golden pheasant.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30870263, 31272259)
文摘Background: Flight is the central avian adaptation in evolution. Wing muscles form an important anatomical basis for avian flight, affecting wing performance and determine modes of flight. However, the roles of distal muscles in adjusting the wing, as well as their functional specializations, remain largely unknown. The importance of muscle fiber architecture has long been recognized. In this study, we provide quantitative anatomical data on the muscle architecture of the forelimb of the Golden Pheasant(Chrysolophus pictus), with an emphasis on brachial,antebrachial and manual segments.Methods: The forelimbs of five Golden Pheasants were dissected and detailed measurements of all muscles were made, including muscle mass, muscle belly length, fascicle length. From these values, muscle volume, physiological cross-sectional area(PCSA) and maximum isometric force were derived.Results: General trends such as the distribution of muscle mass, fascicle length and the ratio of tendon length/belly length are revealed. Comparing PCSAs between antebrachial depressors and elevators and between intrinsics of the alular digit and major digit yielded significant differences(p < 0.05). Pronounced development of the antebrachial depressors suggests that ventral rotation of the distal half of the wing is a pivotal factor in shape change and orientation modulation. Large PCSAs in tandem with the force generation capability of the major digit intrinsics may help stabilize the digits while enhancing support of the primary feathers. The architectural properties of the alular digit confirm that alular adjustment is essential to rapid adduction and abduction.Conclusions: These observations illustrate the underlying structural basis for the functional capacities of the distal forelimb muscles and may provide additional information useful in further biomechanical and in vivo investigations.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31471987)approved by College of Life Sciences,Beijing Normal University:No.CLSEAW-2013-007。
文摘Understanding speciation has long been a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology.It is widely accepted that speciation requires an interruption of gene flow to generate strong reproductive isolation between species.The mechanism of how speciation in sexually dichromatic species operates in the face of gene flow remains an open question.Two species in the genus Chrysolophus,the Golden Pheasant(C.pictus)and Lady Amherst’s Pheasant(C.amherstiae),both of which exhibit significant plumage dichromatism,are currently parapatric in southwestern China with several hybrid recordings in field.In this study,we estimated the pattern of gene flow during the speciation of the two pheasants using the Approximate Bayesian Computation(ABC)method based on data from multiple genes.Using a newly assembled de novo genome of Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and resequencing of widely distributed individuals,we reconstructed the demographic history of the two pheasants by the PSMC(pairwise sequentially Markovian coalescent)method.The results provide clear evidence that the gene flow between the two pheasants was consistent with the predictions of the isolation with migration model during divergence,indicating that there was long-term gene flow after the initial divergence(ca.2.2 million years ago).The data further support the occurrence of secondary contact between the parapatric populations since around 30 kya with recurrent gene flow to the present,a pattern that may have been induced by the population expansion of the Golden Pheasant in the late Pleistocene.The results of the study support the scenario of speciation between the Golden Pheasant and Lady Amherst’s Pheasant with cycles of mixing-isolation-mixing,possibly due to the dynamics of geographical context in the late Pleistocene.The two species provide a good research system as an evolutionary model for testing reinforcement selection in speciation.
文摘?College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China)Golden pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus) is a monotypic and special species of China.In nature, it breeds once a year in spring summer.From Oct.1998 to Feb.1999, we studied the effects of photo periods on inducing the birds to reproduce in winter and succeeded.In the experiment, 36 adult females and 18 males were divided into three groups.Each group was divided into 6 replicates, each replicate included 2 females and 1 male, and fed in one cage.All the groups were exposed to short day (8L∶16D) for 8 weeks, and then transferred to long day (12L∶12D, 14L∶10D or 16L∶8D). In result, photoperiods significantly affected Golden pheasant reproductive performance in winter.Considered of all of the reproductive performance indicators, the reproductive performance of the group exposure to 14L∶10D was the best, the 16L∶8D group’s was less and the 12L∶12D group’s was the worst.It may be that the birds’ CDL (critical day length) for inducing egg production was about 12 h, and the CDL for optimal egg production was 14L∶10D in winter. The birds exposed to 12L∶12D had no fertilized egg.The other groups had fertilized eggs and the fertility was 15 05% (14L∶10D) and 20 41% (16L∶8D).The hatchability of fertilized egg were 76 47% (14L∶10D) and 80 00% (16L∶8D). The egg laying pattern was affected by the size of photoperiod.The ratio of lay of the birds exposed to 14L∶10D, increased rapidly and sustained in a peak level for 5 weeks, and then fall down.But the other birds (group A and C) increased to the peak at the first week and then fall down quickly.
