Chen Xiaojuan, Yuan Yumei, Gao Yundong
Mountain Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China.
China-Croatia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Jul 10;15(7):e71738. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71738. eCollection 2025 Jul.
, a new species endemic to highly restricted habitats in the eastern Himalayas, has been identified and taxonomically distinguished from the morphologically similar . Genetic analyses utilizing nuclear and chloroplast datasets have conclusively established as a distinct species, revealing a complex relationship with and other related taxa, despite the historical classification of the former two as conspecific. Genomic evidence suggests a potential hybrid origin for Nuclear-plastid discordance indicates chloroplast capture from the Duchartrei clade and nuclear introgression from the Lophophorum clade. Furthermore, ADMIXTURE analyses reveal a tripartite ancestry, while TreeMix analysis has detected bidirectional gene flow from both putative parental lineages. In contrast, morphological principal component analysis (PCA) has shown no significant differences between the two species, except for the notably larger basal leaf blades in , highlighting its cryptic nature. Ecologically, occupies habitats characterized by higher summer precipitation and prolonged snow accumulation during winter, providing greater moisture availability compared to the drier habitats of This suggests a degree of ecological niche divergence between the two species. Environmental niche modeling (ENM) predicts that the distribution of may shift in response to global warming, potentially driving its upward migration to higher elevations or latitudes. This northward or altitudinal movement could lead to overlapping habitats with raising critical concerns about habitat loss and the risk of genetic introgression. Such introgression could threaten the taxonomic distinctiveness and ecological stability of . Given its extremely restricted geographic range and small population size, has been classified as "Critically Endangered" (CR). As a result, urgent actions are needed to confirm its taxonomic status and implement comprehensive conservation measures to ensure its survival.
一种新物种已被鉴定出来，它是喜马拉雅东部高度受限栖息地的特有物种，在分类学上与形态相似的[物种名称]有所区分。利用核数据集和叶绿体数据集进行的遗传分析已确凿地将[物种名称]确立为一个独特的物种，揭示了它与[物种名称]及其他相关分类群的复杂关系，尽管前两者在历史分类中被视为同种。基因组证据表明[物种名称]可能有杂交起源。核质不一致表明叶绿体从杜氏分支捕获，核基因渗入来自垂花分支。此外，ADMIXTURE分析揭示了三方祖先，而TreeMix分析检测到来自两个假定亲本谱系的双向基因流动。相比之下，形态主成分分析（PCA）表明这两个物种之间没有显著差异，除了[物种名称]的基部叶片明显更大，突出了其隐秘的性质。在生态方面，[物种名称]占据的栖息地夏季降水较高，冬季积雪时间较长，与[物种名称]较干燥的栖息地相比，水分供应更多。这表明这两个物种之间存在一定程度的生态位分化。环境生态位建模（ENM）预测，[物种名称]的分布可能会因全球变暖而发生变化，可能导致其向上迁移到更高的海拔或纬度。这种向北或向高处的移动可能导致与[物种名称]的栖息地重叠，引发对栖息地丧失和基因渗入风险的严重担忧。这种基因渗入可能威胁到[物种名称]的分类独特性和生态稳定性。鉴于其极其有限的地理范围和小种群规模，[物种名称]已被列为“极度濒危”（CR）。因此，需要采取紧急行动来确认其分类地位，并实施全面的保护措施以确保其生存。
