Ancient mitogenomes reveal a high maternal genetic diversity of Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros in Northern China

BMC Ecology and Evolution

Research

Michael V. Westbury¹  Yamei Hou²  Lei Bao³  Dong Pan⁴  Yang Liu⁵  Junxia Yuan⁶  Shan Jiang⁷  Guojiang Sun⁷  Linying Wang⁸  Jiaming Hu⁹  Xulong Lai⁹  Bo Xiao⁹  Guilian Sheng^1,10  Shiwen Song^1,10  Yong Wu^1,11 

[1] Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark;Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China;Ordos Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, 017010, Ordos, China;Palaeontological Fossil Conservation Center, Qinggang County, 151600, Suihua, China;School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275, Guangzhou, China;State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;Bioarchaeology Laboratory, Jilin University, 130012, Changchun, China;Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;College of Earth and Environmental Science, Lanzhou University, 730099, Lanzhou, China;State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, China;State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China;The Third Geological and Mineral Exploration Institute of Gansu Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, 730050, Lanzhou, China;

关键词: Woolly rhinoceros;    Maternal diversity;    Northern China;    Dispersal;    Pleistocene;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12862-023-02168-0

 received in 2023-07-23, accepted in 2023-09-18,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundWoolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is a typical indicator of cold-stage climate that was widely distributed in Northern Hemisphere during the Middle-Late Pleistocene. Although a plethora of fossils have been excavated from Northern China, their phylogenetic status, intraspecific diversity and phylogeographical structure are still vague.ResultsIn the present study, we generated four mitogenomes from Late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros in Northern China and compared them with published data. Bayesian and network analyses indicate that the analyzed individuals contain at least four maternal haplogroups, and Chinese samples fall in three of them. One of our samples belongs to a previously unidentified early diverging clade (haplogroup D), which separated from other woolly rhinoceros around 0.57 Ma (95% CI: 0.76–0.41 Ma). The timing of this clade’s origin coincides with the first occurrence of woolly rhinoceros, which are thought to have evolved in Europe. Our other three samples cluster in haplogroup C, previously only identified from one specimen from Wrangel Island (ND030) and initially considered to be an isolated clade. Herein, our findings suggest that ND030 is likely descended from a northward dispersal of the individuals carrying haplogroup C from Northern China. Additionally, Chinese woolly rhinoceros specimens exhibit higher nucleotide diversity than those from Siberia.ConclusionOur findings highlight Northern China as a possible refugium and a key evolution center of the Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023

【 图 表 】

Fig. 9

Fig. 4

Fig. 7