Convergent dental adaptations in pseudo-tribosphenic and tribosphenic mammals

Tribosphenic molars of basal marsupials and placentals are a major adaptation, with the protocone (pestle) of the upper molar crushing and grinding in the talonid basin (mortar) on the lower molar. The extinct pseudo-tribosphenic mammals have a reversed tribosphenic molar in which a pseudo-talonid is anterior to the trigonid, to receive the pseudo-protocone of the upper molar. The pseudo-protocone is analogous to the protocone, but the anteriorly placed pseudo-talonid is opposite to the posterior talonid basin of true tribosphenic mammals. Here we describe a mammal of the Middle Jurassic period with highly derived pseudo-tribosphenic molars but predominantly primitive mandibular and skeletal features, and place it in a basal position in mammal phylogeny. Its shoulder girdle and limbs show fossorial features similar to those of mammaliaforms and monotremes, but different compared with those of the earliest-known Laurasian tribosphenic (boreosphenid) mammals. The find reveals a much greater range of dental evolution in Mesozoic mammals than in their extant descendants, and strengthens the hypothesis of homoplasy of 'tribosphenic-like' molars among mammals.     

Dual epithelial origin of vertebrate oral teeth

The oral cavity of vertebrates is generally thought to arise as an ectodermal invagination. Consistent with this, oral teeth are proposed to arise exclusively from ectoderm, contributing to tooth enamel epithelium, and from neural crest derived mesenchyme, contributing to dentin and pulp. Yet in many vertebrate groups, teeth are not restricted only to the oral cavity, but extend posteriorly as pharyngeal teeth that could be derived either directly from the endodermal epithelium, or from the ectodermal epithelium that reached this location through the mouth or through the pharyngeal slits. However, when the oropharyngeal membrane, which forms a sharp ecto/endodermal border, is broken, the fate of these cells is poorly known. Here, using transgenic axolotls with a combination of fate-mapping approaches, we present reliable evidence of oral teeth derived from both the ectoderm and endoderm and, moreover, demonstrate teeth with a mixed ecto/endodermal origin. Despite the enamel epithelia having a different embryonic source, oral teeth in the axolotl display striking developmental uniformities and are otherwise identical. This suggests a dominant role for the neural crest mesenchyme over epithelia in tooth initiation and, from an evolutionary point of view, that an essential factor in teeth evolution was the odontogenic capacity of neural crest cells, regardless of possible 'outside-in' or 'inside-out' influx of the epithelium.     

Cretaceous eutherians and Laurasian origin for placental mammals near the K/T boundary

Estimates of the time of origin for placental mammals from DNA studies span nearly the duration of the Cretaceous period (145 to 65 million years ago), with a maximum of 129 million years ago and a minimum of 78 million years ago. Palaeontologists too are divided on the timing. Some support a deep Cretaceous origin by allying certain middle Cretaceous fossils (97-90 million years old) from Uzbekistan with modern placental lineages, whereas others support the origin of crown group Placentalia near the close of the Cretaceous. This controversy has yet to be addressed by a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis that includes all well-known Cretaceous fossils and a wide sample of morphology among Tertiary and recent placentals. Here we report the discovery of a new well-preserved mammal from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia and a broad-scale phylogenetic analysis. Our results exclude Cretaceous fossils from Placentalia, place the origin of Placentalia near the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary in Laurasia rather than much earlier within the Cretaceous in the Southern Hemisphere, and place afrotherians and xenarthrans in a nested rather than a basal position within Placentalia.     

对偶系统的对偶包含问题

提出对偶系统的对偶包含问题,给出其包含条件及与原系统包含条件之间的对偶关系.对偶系统的约束条件是原系统模型降阶聚集条件的补充.     

冬眠哺乳动物的体温调节

哺乳动物是一类具有高代谢率的恒温动物,它们可通过自身体内氧化代谢产热在较大的环境温度范围内维持高而相对恒定的体温,其体温具有周期性节律变化的特征。冬眠是动物在进化过程中形成的一种应对寒冷、食物缺乏等恶劣环境的生物学习性。冬眠时动物的体温会大幅度下降,这种低体温是动物主动调节的。冬眠的哺乳动物,不论是在冬眠季节还是非冬眠季节,表现出的体温都是在中枢神经系统调节下产热和散热效应综合作用的结果,其机理和产热特征一直是研究的热点。概括叙述了冬眠哺乳动物在活跃季节、入眠过程以及冬眠季节体温调节的特点;恒温哺乳动物体温调节的假说及其发展;冬眠哺乳动物的体温调节;以及对近年来人们关注的热点问题TRP通道进行简要的综述。     

Evolution of homeothermy in mammals

We propose that mammalian homeothermy was was acquired in two steps. The first step enabled mammals to invade a nocturnal niche without an increase in resting metabolic rate. The second step enabled them to invade a diurnal niche and involved the acquisition of higher body temperatures and metabolic rates.     

Coordination of circadian timing in mammals

Time in the biological sense is measured by cycles that range from milliseconds to years. Circadian rhythms, which measure time on a scale of 24 h, are generated by one of the most ubiquitous and well-studied timing systems. At the core of this timing mechanism is an intricate molecular mechanism that ticks away in many different tissues throughout the body. However, these independent rhythms are tamed by a master clock in the brain, which coordinates tissue-specific rhythms according to light input it receives from the outside world.     

The delayed rise of present-day mammals

Did the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event, by eliminating non-avian dinosaurs and most of the existing fauna, trigger the evolutionary radiation of present-day mammals? Here we construct, date and analyse a species-level phylogeny of nearly all extant Mammalia to bring a new perspective to this question. Our analyses of how extant lineages accumulated through time show that net per-lineage diversification rates barely changed across the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. Instead, these rates spiked significantly with the origins of the currently recognized placental superorders and orders approximately 93 million years ago, before falling and remaining low until accelerating again throughout the Eocene and Oligocene epochs. Our results show that the phylogenetic 'fuses' leading to the explosion of extant placental orders are not only very much longer than suspected previously, but also challenge the hypothesis that the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event had a major, direct influence on the diversification of today's mammals.     

Imaging stem-cell-driven regeneration in mammals

The ability to observe biological processes continuously, instead of at discrete time points, holds great promise for the study of tissue regeneration. Ideally, single cells would be followed continuously within large tissue volumes (such as organs) over long periods of time. Technical limitations, however, preclude such studies. But, recently, there have been improvements in imaging technologies and biologically compatible labelling agents. Together with new insights into the molecular characteristics of stem cells, which are ultimately responsible for the regenerative potential of all tissues, researchers are now much closer to applying single-cell imaging approaches to research into regeneration and its clinical applications.     

马尔克斯的双重批判——对《巨翅老人》的一种解读

本文分析了马尔克斯的短篇小说《巨翅老人》的艺术形象,借此以窥探他作为知识分子对待殖民的历史、混血文化的态度。     

对偶g-框架的刻画

G-框架是框架的一种自然推广,它包含了最近研究的许多推广框架,本文给出了Hilbert空间中对偶g-框架的一个刻画。     

Comparative genomic analysis reveals more functional nasal chemoreceptors in nocturnal mammals than in diurnal mammals

Natural selection has a critical role in the diversity of morphological traits. However, the genetic basis underlying the evolution and diversity of morphological characteristics, particularly in the context an organism’s behavior, lifestyle, and environment, is not well understood. The discovery of nasal chemoreceptors in mammals provided an opportunity to address this question. Here, we identify 4 nasal chemoreceptor gene families (V1R, V2R, OR, and TAAR) from horse, guinea pig, marmoset and orangutan genome sequences, respectively. Together with previously described mammalian nasal chemoreceptor gene repertoires, we found a significant positive correlation between functional gene number and morphological complexity, both in the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal system. The combined analysis of morphological data, behavioral data, and gene repertoires suggests that nocturnal mammals tend to possess more species-specific chemoreceptor genes and more complicated olfactory organs than diurnal mammals. Moreover, analysis of evolutionary forces revealed the existence of positive selection on the species-specific genes, likely reflecting the species-specific detection of odors and pheromones. Taken together, these results reflect a rare case of adaptation to circadian rhythm activity at the genome scale, and strongly suggest that the complexity of morphological olfactory organs and the diversification of nasal chemoreceptors in nocturnal mammals are under selection for the ability to perceive the variety of odors that nocturnal mammals may encounter in their particular dark environments.     

随机对偶空间

随机对偶空间首次被引进，随机对偶空间研究中一个关键引理首次被给出，相容性定理也被建立     

基于对偶图的对偶树分解的4着色

阐明了对偶图G(p,q,f)4着色的基本思路,提出了n面体的展开图G′(f,s,t)与对偶图G(p,q,f)之间的依存关系,根据这种依存关系,提出了对偶图G(p,q,f)的对偶树及三胞胎树的3种不同的算法,同时提出了这3种算法的适用范围和条件。根据4着色理论,阐明了基于对偶树分解和三胞胎树分解的对偶图G(p,q,f)的4着色方法。文中以20面体为例,介绍了20面体的展开图与对偶图G(p,q,f)之间的对偶关系图和20面体平图的对偶图G(p,q,f)的4着色的全过程,提出了具体的实施步骤,并根据步骤得出相应的结论。