Studies on Systematic of Snow Finches (Montifringilla spp.)

Snow finches (Montifingilla spp.) are all distributed in palearctic realm.Of seven species of the world, six species are main1y distributed in mountainregions at high elevation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of northwestern Chinaincluding alpine meadow sections and steep precipices. Snow finches are foundwell adapted to the cold climate of the high alpine environment. They arerepresentatives of animal fauna of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in studying origin andevolution. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is considered as distribution center andoriginal center of most passerine birds. Studies on systematics of Snow Finchesis very important to understand formation and evolution of avian fauna ofQinghai-Tibet Plateau.In the thesis, based on macro-and micro-morphological characteristics,we conducted a systematic study on snow finches by integrated approaches,such as taxonomy, ecology, molecular biology, and zoo-geography, and tried tointerpret the phylogenetic relationship of species and suggested the formationand evolutionary mechanism of the snow finches.In morphology, cladistic and numerical taxonomy are used respectivelyto analyze six species of Montifringilla and to construct the phylogenetic trees,and to discuss the relationship and taxonomic status of Montifringilla spp.PCR and RAPD methods are also used to show the phylogeneticrelationship among snow finches in molecular biology. DNA is amplified byPCR and RAPD and formed molecular tree by NJ method, by which try todiscuss the inherited distance and similarity among species.In study of zoo-geography, we try to interpret the distribution centerand origina1 center of snow finches according to their current distributionpatterns. The main point lies in discussing the spatial and temporal distributionpatterns and mechanism including horizontal and vertical distribution, andinvestigating the distribution rule of the genus and inferring the distributioncenter, the original center and the evolutionary pathway of Snow Finches.Based on morphology, ecology, molecular biology and zoo-geography, theresults were suggested as below:sl.Genus MOntwme might be divided into three subgencra:MonngtwHIa opn--, MontwuIa oprgiIauda) andMonpegme (onychostruthus) taczanowskiiAmong species of Mont&ingilla, M ruficollis, M blanfordt M thereaseand M davhaanQ are more closely related than others, while Mnivilis andMadamsi have more closeIy relationship. We suggest in the thesis thatMOntifringilla be divided into three subgenera: Mont&ingilla (Montghinglla),MonlW.ingilla (Pyrgilauda) and MOnopingilla (OnychostruthUS). The formergenus includes M (M.nivalis and M (M.adamsi, while the latter genusincludes M (P).ruficollis, M (P).blanford(M (P).davidiana and M (P). theIease.MIaczanou)skii is a very special species. It is similar to the species ofMOntW.ingilla apnl&ingilla) subgenus in morphology and is similar tospecies of subgenus MOnt&ingiila (Pyryilauda) in ecology and behavior.According to the data of molecular characters, Mlasczanowskii shows muchgreater inherited distance with the species of subgenus MOntghingilla(Pyryilauda) and the inherited distance near1y reaches to the level among genus(between MOntheingilla and Petronia). So we suggest Mtaczanowskii asanother subgenus.2.The distribution center'and original center as well as the cvolutionarypathway of Monttwme spp.There is the rule about the distribution of snow finches, whose distributionis main1y along Himalayas--Alps mountains where transverse Asia and Europefrom east to west. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has very distinct overlap of sixspecies with eleven subspecies in addition, and thus suggested it was thedistribution center of snow finches.Before the ascent of Tibet plateau, here is much hilly xerophyte prairie ofIow elevation. The primitive species of MOntghtwilla might be distributed here.Snow finches have to confront pressure of survival due to new habitatenvironment brought by...