天然草地放牧牦牛采食行为及食性选择的研究

对青南地区玉树县境内2牧场的草地植被及成年母牦牛的采食行为和选择性采食习性及其关系进行了探讨,结果表明：B牧场禁牧区的生物量显著高于A牧场的禁牧区及A,B牧场的放牧区（P〈0.05）,B牧场的可食植物量显著高于A牧场（P〈0.05）,A牧场的可食植物量只占地上生物量的一半以下;B牧场分别以小嵩草,矮嵩草,披碱草,针茅,蒲公英等优良牧草为优势种,次优势种,而A牧场以线叶嵩草为优势种,凤毛菊,狼毒,黄帚橐吾等毒杂草及早熟禾等为次优势种;B牧场以小嵩草、矮嵩草等莎草科和为主要采食植物,而在A牧场除以莎草科植物为主要采食植物外,由于可食牧草量的不足,还采食一些本不喜食的植物。矮嵩草和小嵩草是牦牛最喜食,选择性最高的植物;斑块内采食口数A牧场为50.6 bite/patch显著少于B牧场的81.1 bite/patch（P〈0.01）;斑块内采食站数A牧场为8.4 FS/patch显著多于B牧场的5.2 FS/patch（P〈0.001）;采食站内采食口数A牧场为6.6 bite/FS显著少于B牧场的17.4 bite/FS（P〈0.001）;采食速度A牧场为1.32 bites/sec显著慢于B牧场的1.46 bites/sec（P〈0.01）。放牧草地的食物资源的匮乏,使放牧牦牛的食物选择性降低,采食行为的内容变劣,A牧场草地处于严重退化状态;牦牛处于缺营养状态,草地的退化对牦牛的生产性能有很大的影响。     

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) Space Use Minimally Affected by Oil and Gas Development

Despite the fact that the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus Linnaeus; hereafter, bobwhite) is one of the most well-studied and widely distributed wildlife species in North America, we know little about how bobwhite respond to oil and gas infrastructure. We investigated the impacts of oil and gas development on space use of bobwhite using a multiseason approach. We captured and monitored bobwhite in the breeding season (1 April–30 September, n = 135 individuals) and nonbreeding season (1 October–31 March, n = 30 coveys) and modeled their habitat selection in a resource-utilization function (third order, within home range selection) and resource-selection function (second order, home range selection) format. Generally, energy infrastructure effects on bobwhite were neutral, but breeding season bobwhite did select for areas near low-traffic roads (β = ? 0.31 ± 0.15 SE). In the nonbreeding season, coveys selected for areas within their home range with a limited viewshed (i.e., areas with limited visibility of anthropogenic structures; β = ? 0.03 ± 0.02 SE). Selection differed between sexes for well pads (t = ? 2.12, P = 0.04) but was otherwise similar. At the level of home range selection, bobwhite exhibited a preference for areas with a low density of oil and gas wells and a high density of low-traffic roads during both the breeding and nonbreeding seasons (breeding: β_well = ? 0.14 ± 0.02, β_road = 0.26 ± 0.27; nonbreeding: β_well = ? 0.08 ± 0.03, β_road = 0.16 ± 0.03). As a generalist species, bobwhite appear to be largely tolerant of energy infrastructure and associated disturbances at moderate levels of development but may be sensitive to high densities of oil and gas pads.     

Adaptive evolutionary expansion of the ribonuclease 6 in Rodentia

Ribonuclease 6 (RNase6 or RNase K6) is a protein that belongs to a superfamily thought to be the sole verte‐brate‐specific enzyme known for a wide range of physiological functions, including digestion, cytotoxicity, angiogenesis, male reproduction and host defense. In our study, 51 functional genes and 11 pseudogenes were identified from 27 Rodentia species. Intriguingly, in the 3 main lineages of rodents there were multiple RNase6s identified in all species of Ctenohystrica, whereas only a single RNase6 was observed in other Rodentia species examined except for 2 species in the mouse‐related clade. The evolutionary scenario of “birth (gene duplication) and death (gene deactivation)” and gene sorting have been demonstrated in Ctenohystrica. In addition, bursts of positive selection, diversification of isoelectric point and positive net charge have been identified in Ctenohystrica, especially at two key sites that are involved in antimicrobial function. Site Trp30 has undergone positive selection and Ile45 has changed into other residues in Group B and Group C of the Ctenohystrica. Our results demonstrated a complex and intriguing evolutionary pattern of rodent RNase6, and indicated that functional modification may have occurred, which establishes an important theoretical foundation for future functional assays in rodent RNase6.     

Adjusting for heterogeneity of variance for carcass traits affects single and multiple trait selections in genetic evaluation of Japanese Black cattle

Heterogeneity of variance among subclasses of an effect is a potential source of bias in genetic evaluation. Degrees of the heterogeneity of variance among farm‐market‐year‐sex (FMYS) subclasses for carcass weight, beef marbling standard number, rib‐eye area, rib thickness and subcutaneous fat thickness were investigated in Japanese Black cattle. Consequences of adjusting for the heterogeneity on the predicted breeding values (PBVs) or on the genetic indexes derived from the PBVs of the five carcass traits were assessed. A total of 57 461 records were collected between 1997 and 2002 from steers and heifers fattened at farms across Japan. These records were grouped into 1591 FMYS subclasses. Bartlett's test showed that the degree of the heterogeneity of variance among the FMYS subclasses was sizeable in all traits (P < 0.0001). By applying a two‐step adjustment procedure it was possible to reduce the standard deviation, the coefficient of variation and the Gini coefficient of the phenotypic variances by 67.5% to 75.0% in the different traits. The applied adjustment caused a substantial re‐ranking of elite dams in the PBV for each trait as well as in the genetic index. This study provided evidence that the applied adjustment reduces the bias in the PBVs due to heterogeneous variances and increases the accuracy of bull‐dam selection.     

Whole‐genome analysis identifying candidate genes of altitude adaptive ecological thresholds in yak populations

The domestic yak (Bos grunniens) is an iconic symbol of animal husbandry on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Long‐term domestication and natural selection have led to a wide distribution of yak, forming many ecological populations to adapt to the local ecological environment. High altitude is closely related to oxygen density, and it is an important environmental ecological factor for biological survival and livestock production. The aim of the present study was to perform a preliminary analysis to identify the candidate genes of altitude distribution adapted ecological thresholds in yak using next‐generation sequence technology. A total of 15,762,829 SNPs were obtained from 29 yaks with high‐ and low‐altitude distribution by genome‐wide sequencing. According to the results of the selective sweep analysis with FST and ZHp, 21 candidate genes were identified. 14 genes (serine/threonine protein kinase TNNI3K, TEN1, DYM, ITPR1, ZC4H2, KNTC1, ADGRB3, CLYBL, TANGO6, ASCC3, KLHL3, PDE4D, DEPDC1B and AGBL4) were grouped into 32 Gene Ontology terms, and four genes (RPS6KA6, ITPR1, GNAO1 and PDE4D) annotated in 35 pathways, including seven environmental information processing and one environmental adaptation. Therefore, the novel candidate genes found in the current study do not only support new theories about high‐altitude adaptation, but also further explain the molecular mechanisms of altitude adaptation threshold in yaks.     

Whole genome sequence analysis to detect signatures of positive selection for high fecundity in sheep

Ovulation rate and prolificacy are the most important reproductive traits that have major impact on the efficiency of lamb meat production. Here, we compared the whole genomes of the Romanov sheep, known as one of the high prolific breeds, and four other sheep breeds namely Assaf, Awassi, Cambridge and British du cher, to identify genetic mechanisms underlying prolificacy in sheep. Selection signature analysis revealed 637 and 477 protein‐coding genes under positive selection from F_ST and nucleotide diversity (Pi) statistics, respectively. Further analysis showed that several candidate genes including LEPR, PDGFRL and KLF5 genes are involved in sheep prolificacy. The identified candidate genes in the selected regions are novel and provide new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying prolificacy in sheep and can be useful in sheep breeding programmes to develop improved breeds for high reproductive efficiency.     

Sperm competition and the evolution of sperm form and function in mammals

Sperm competition is a powerful selective force that has influenced many reproductive traits in males and females although additional evolutionary explanations may help to understand the diversity of mammalian reproduction. Sperm morphology varies considerably in mammals with extreme examples in several rodent lineages in which a wide range of sizes and complex head morphologies have been identified. Mammalian spermatozoa also differ in function, with swimming velocity and trajectory showing much divergence. Underlying processes mediating function have received little attention so far, but differences in timing and proportion of sperm undergoing capacitation or acrosomal exocytosis may be related to variation in signalling processes. Furthermore, energy required for sperm functions (such as motion, signalling and overall maintenance of cell integrity) can be produced and consumed, following different patterns among species and this could be the result of several selective forces. A more thorough understanding of the diversity in structure and function of sperm cells, and underlying selective forces, may help us develop better methods to assess them taking into account particulars and generalities of sperm form and performance. Such tests could then become more reliable in estimations of the impact of cryopreservation or effect of changes in the environment and their relevance for fertility.     

猪主要经济性状的基因组选择研究

旨在系统比较GBLUP、SSGBLUP、BayesA、BayesB、BayesC、BayesLASSO、BSLMM和BayesR等8种方法对猪重要经济性状基因组选择的准确性。本研究以本实验室收集的2 585头大白猪达100kg日龄、达100kg背膘厚和母猪乳头数3个性状为分析对象,结合猪50K基因芯片分型数据,以加性模型为基础,利用5倍交叉验证比较8种方法的基因组选择准确性。研究发现,基因组选择的准确性与不同性状估计遗传力呈正相关。交叉验证结果表明,预测准确性最高的性状为达100kg日龄,但不同方法在不同性状中表现并不完全相同,在达100kg日龄和达100kg背膘厚中SSGBLUP基因组预测准确性均为最高,而在母猪乳头数中BayesA的基因组预测准确性最高。综上表明,对小样本开展基因组预测时,中、高等遗传力性状可以选择SSGBLUP方法,低等遗传力性状可以选择BayesA方法。如何优化和选择一种广泛适用于所有性状的方法,可能是未来研究的方向。     

养殖(畜牧)领域专业学位研究生论文选题状况分析

养殖(畜牧)领域专业学位研究生论文选题具有广泛性、交叉性、应用性和创新性等特点,本文以甘肃农业大学2012-2016届75篇已授学位的学位论文选题为讨论对象,总结论文选题的经验和存在的问题,以期为今后该类研究生论文的选题和提高培养质量提供参考。