A new cranium and two mandibles of Ailuropoda melanoleuca from Xiangxi,Hunan Province are described here.The materials were discovered in a karst cave on the Bamian Mountain at an altitude of 1200 m,with AMC carbon-fo...A new cranium and two mandibles of Ailuropoda melanoleuca from Xiangxi,Hunan Province are described here.The materials were discovered in a karst cave on the Bamian Mountain at an altitude of 1200 m,with AMC carbon-fourteen isotope dating indicating an age of 2800±30 BP.Historically,the giant panda was widely distributed in southern China and parts of Southeast Asia during the Pleistocene epoch,but it is now confined and isolated to six mountain ranges in southwest China’s Sichuan,Shaanxi,and Gansu provinces.The subfossil materials reported here represent the first discovery of the living species of giant panda in Xiangxi,Hunan.This extends their geographical distribution in southern China during the Holocene epoch eastward to the eastern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and their recent altitude range down to 1200 m.展开更多
Ribosonal protein L21 which is a component of the 60s large ribosomal subunit plays an important role in ribosome. To explore the structure characteristic of ribosomal protein L21(rpL21) gene of the Ailuropoda melanol...Ribosonal protein L21 which is a component of the 60s large ribosomal subunit plays an important role in ribosome. To explore the structure characteristic of ribosomal protein L21(rpL21) gene of the Ailuropoda melanoleuca and investigate its homologies with other already reported sequenses' including Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, Mus musculus, etc. The cDNA of rpL21 was cloned from the Ailuropoda melanoleuca by RT-PCR. The sequence data were analyzed by Genscan software. Blast 2.1 was used to study the homology of the obtained rpL21 sequence with the gene sequence of other species; Open reading frame (ORF) of the DNA sequence was searched using ORF finder software; Protein structure of the rpL21 sequence cloned was deduced using Predict Protein software. The results indicated that the length of cDNA fragment cloned was 504bp; containing an open reading frame of 483bp. Deduced protein was composed of 160 amino acids with an estimated molecular weight of 18.59kD and pI of 11.10. The length of the genomic sequence is 2254bp, containing 5 exons and 4 introns. Alignment analysis indicates that rpL21 is highly similarity with the reported species both at the level of DNA and protein. Topology prediction shows that 6 different patterns were found in the rpL21 protein of the Ailuropoda melanoleuca. The rpL21 gene of the Ailuropoda melanoleuca was studied in this paper, which will enrich and improve the mammals' rpL21 gene database.展开更多
Chemical communication plays an important role in kin selection and mate choice in mammals. The covariance of odor-genes of rodents has been documented and kinship odor has been proposed and termed, yet little is know...Chemical communication plays an important role in kin selection and mate choice in mammals. The covariance of odor-genes of rodents has been documented and kinship odor has been proposed and termed, yet little is known of the relationship between genetic relatedness and chemical composition of kinship odors. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) rely substantially on chemical communication to mediate their social interactions. To examine the relationship between genetic relatedness and compounds in the urine/anogenital gland secretions, we compared the similarities between genetic relatedness and the chemical profiles of anogenital gland secretions and urine via lineage construction and GC-MS (gas chromatography and mass spectrometry). We found that information about kinship odors was present only in the urine of male adults in the mating season but absent in the non-mating season. Adult females and all sub-adults did not have such kinship odors in either mating or non-mating season. Therefore, kinship odor in the panda was contingent on age, sex, and season. This is the first report about the condition-dependent expression of kinship odor, which may have a sig- nificant implication in the practice of panda conservation in relation to chemical communication and sexual selection.展开更多
This study examines the locomotor biomechanics of the giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca),a species of profound ecological and evolutionary significance.Despite its characteristic slow movement and non-sprinting locom...This study examines the locomotor biomechanics of the giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca),a species of profound ecological and evolutionary significance.Despite its characteristic slow movement and non-sprinting locomotion,the panda has endured for over 8 million years,offering a unique perspective on the evolution of mammalian locomotion.Through comprehensive gait analysis and ground reaction force measurements,we investigate the functional distinctions between the forelimbs and hind limbs,highlighting the biomechanical underpinnings of its plantigrade locomotion.Our findings reveal how the panda’s limb structure and movement patterns contribute to energy efficiency,particularly during slow locomotion.By comparing these results with those of other large mammals,such as grizzly bears(Ursus arcto),we explore the role of limb mechanics in energy conservation.Additionally,we assess the locomotor performance of pandas across different age groups,shedding light on the maturation of locomotor abilities and the potential adaptive significance of their slow,deliberate movement.This research offers novel insights into the biomechanics of panda locomotion and its evolutionary implications,furthering our understanding of the functional evolution of bear species and informing conservation strategies for this iconic species.展开更多
文摘A new cranium and two mandibles of Ailuropoda melanoleuca from Xiangxi,Hunan Province are described here.The materials were discovered in a karst cave on the Bamian Mountain at an altitude of 1200 m,with AMC carbon-fourteen isotope dating indicating an age of 2800±30 BP.Historically,the giant panda was widely distributed in southern China and parts of Southeast Asia during the Pleistocene epoch,but it is now confined and isolated to six mountain ranges in southwest China’s Sichuan,Shaanxi,and Gansu provinces.The subfossil materials reported here represent the first discovery of the living species of giant panda in Xiangxi,Hunan.This extends their geographical distribution in southern China during the Holocene epoch eastward to the eastern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and their recent altitude range down to 1200 m.
基金financially supported by Application Foundation Project in Sichuan Province(2009JY0061)Youth Fund Project of Educational Committee of Sichuan province(09ZB088)
文摘Ribosonal protein L21 which is a component of the 60s large ribosomal subunit plays an important role in ribosome. To explore the structure characteristic of ribosomal protein L21(rpL21) gene of the Ailuropoda melanoleuca and investigate its homologies with other already reported sequenses' including Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, Mus musculus, etc. The cDNA of rpL21 was cloned from the Ailuropoda melanoleuca by RT-PCR. The sequence data were analyzed by Genscan software. Blast 2.1 was used to study the homology of the obtained rpL21 sequence with the gene sequence of other species; Open reading frame (ORF) of the DNA sequence was searched using ORF finder software; Protein structure of the rpL21 sequence cloned was deduced using Predict Protein software. The results indicated that the length of cDNA fragment cloned was 504bp; containing an open reading frame of 483bp. Deduced protein was composed of 160 amino acids with an estimated molecular weight of 18.59kD and pI of 11.10. The length of the genomic sequence is 2254bp, containing 5 exons and 4 introns. Alignment analysis indicates that rpL21 is highly similarity with the reported species both at the level of DNA and protein. Topology prediction shows that 6 different patterns were found in the rpL21 protein of the Ailuropoda melanoleuca. The rpL21 gene of the Ailuropoda melanoleuca was studied in this paper, which will enrich and improve the mammals' rpL21 gene database.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30470233, 30170169 and 30230080)Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (Grant No. 98002717)China Wildlife Conservation Associa-tion (Grant Nos. 96035 and WH0309)
文摘Chemical communication plays an important role in kin selection and mate choice in mammals. The covariance of odor-genes of rodents has been documented and kinship odor has been proposed and termed, yet little is known of the relationship between genetic relatedness and chemical composition of kinship odors. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) rely substantially on chemical communication to mediate their social interactions. To examine the relationship between genetic relatedness and compounds in the urine/anogenital gland secretions, we compared the similarities between genetic relatedness and the chemical profiles of anogenital gland secretions and urine via lineage construction and GC-MS (gas chromatography and mass spectrometry). We found that information about kinship odors was present only in the urine of male adults in the mating season but absent in the non-mating season. Adult females and all sub-adults did not have such kinship odors in either mating or non-mating season. Therefore, kinship odor in the panda was contingent on age, sex, and season. This is the first report about the condition-dependent expression of kinship odor, which may have a sig- nificant implication in the practice of panda conservation in relation to chemical communication and sexual selection.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant numbers 52405317 and 52075248)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20241407)+3 种基金the Excellence Postdoctoral Project of Jiangsu Province(2024ZB421)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(NP2024302)the National Key Laboratory of Aircraft Configuration Design(No.ZZKY-202507)the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics Technology(No.KJS2449).
文摘This study examines the locomotor biomechanics of the giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca),a species of profound ecological and evolutionary significance.Despite its characteristic slow movement and non-sprinting locomotion,the panda has endured for over 8 million years,offering a unique perspective on the evolution of mammalian locomotion.Through comprehensive gait analysis and ground reaction force measurements,we investigate the functional distinctions between the forelimbs and hind limbs,highlighting the biomechanical underpinnings of its plantigrade locomotion.Our findings reveal how the panda’s limb structure and movement patterns contribute to energy efficiency,particularly during slow locomotion.By comparing these results with those of other large mammals,such as grizzly bears(Ursus arcto),we explore the role of limb mechanics in energy conservation.Additionally,we assess the locomotor performance of pandas across different age groups,shedding light on the maturation of locomotor abilities and the potential adaptive significance of their slow,deliberate movement.This research offers novel insights into the biomechanics of panda locomotion and its evolutionary implications,furthering our understanding of the functional evolution of bear species and informing conservation strategies for this iconic species.
