Wenliang Zhou

Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) · Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology

A morphological and molecular analyses of a newly discovered species, Glossobalanus weiisp. nov., from Danzhou city, Hainan Island, China is presented. Several morphological characters distinguish this new species, while molecular analyses confirm significant genetic divergence from its recognized congeners (p-distance > 0.25 in mitochondrial genom...

Stony corals, the primary architects of coral reef ecosystems, are largely underrepresented in omics studies despite their importance. The presence of endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae algae complicates the extraction of pure coral DNA, posing a challenge for genomic research. Here, we devised a comprehensive methodological framework that incorporates...

Brown-and-white giant pandas (hereafter brown pandas) are distinct coat color mutants found exclusively in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China. However, its genetic mechanism has remained unclear since their discovery in 1985. Here, we identified the genetic basis for this coat color variation using a combination of field ecological data, populat...

Global climate change is expected to have a profound effect on species distribution. Due to the temperature constraints, some narrow niche species could shift their narrow range to higher altitudes or latitudes. In this study, we explored the correlation between species traits, genetic structure, and geographical range size. More specifically, we a...

Giant pandas and red pandas are endangered species with similar specialized bamboo diet and partial sympatric distribution in China. Over the last two decades, the rapid development of genomics and metagenomics research on these species has enriched our knowledge of their biology, ecology, physiology, genetics, and evolution, which is crucial and u...

Coral reefs are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on the planet, yet have suffered sharp declines in the past few decades. To better understand how reef fish communities respond to disturbances in the South China Sea, we investigated the species diversity, trophic composition, and shoaling size of fish communities of four coral reefs...

The rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) is characterized by having teeth covered in finely wrinkled vertical ridges, which is a general manifestation of amelogenesis imperfecta. The rough surfaces are hypothesized to be an evolutionary morphological trait of feeding adaptation to increase the dolphin's grip on prey. Here, we assembled a rough...

The Ostracion cubicus, commonly known as the yellow boxfish, is a remarkable species with a body encased in a bone plate and the ability to produce an ostracitoxin from their skin when under stress. However, the genetic basis of those effective defense traits is still largely unknown due to the lack of genomic resources. Here, we assembled the firs...

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that plays a crucial role in various regulatory processes, including gene expression regulation, transposable element repression, and genomic imprinting. However, most studies on DNA methylation have been conducted in humans and other model species, whereas the dynamics of DNA methylation across mammals...

A critical function of animal movement is to maximize access to essential resources in temporally fluctuating and spatially heterogeneous environments. Seasonally mediated resource fluctuations may influence animal movements, enabling them to track changing resource distributions, resulting in annual migration patterns. The conservation-dependent g...

Thermal priming of reef corals can enhance their heat tolerance, however, the legacy effects of heat stress during parental brooding on larval resilience remain understudied. This study investigated whether preconditioning adult coral Pocillopora damicornis to high temperatures (29°C and 32°C) could better prepare their larvae for heat stress. Resu...

Background Indirect interactions between individual solitary mammals, such as the giant panda, are often overlooked because of their nature, yet are important for maintaining the necessary sociality in solitary species. Methods and results Here, we determined the genetic identity of all giant panda individuals in a local population and matched the...

Marine biodiversity plays important roles in ocean ecosystem services and has substantial economic value. Species diversity (SR), genetic diversity (GD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD), which reflect the number, evolutionary potential and evolutionary history of species in ecosystem functioning, are three important dimensions of biodiversity. Marin...

Microplastics (MPs) are important exempla of the Anthropocene and are exerting an increasing impact on Earth’s carbon cycle. The huge imbalance between the MPs floating on the marine surface and those that are estimated to have been introduced into the ocean necessitates a detailed assessment of marine MP sinks. Here, we demonstrate that cold seep...

Aim Global warming is threatening species survival worldwide. Cold‐adapted montane ungulates may be among the first species to be affected by global warming. Here, we investigate the behavioural thermoregulation hypothesis that montane ungulates buffer the effects of warming climate through behavioural adjustment. Location Foping National Nature R...

Multiple factors influence gut microbiome diversity in vertebrate hosts. Most previous studies have only investigated specific factors and certain host species or taxa. However, a comprehensive assessment of the relative contributions of individual factors towards gut microbial diversity within a broader evolutionary context remains lacking. Here,...

Characteristics of the gut microbiome vary synchronously with changes in host diet. However, the underlying effects of these fluctuations remain unclear. Here, we performed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) of diet-specific feces from an endangered mammal (the giant panda) into a germ-free mouse model. We demonstrated that the butyrate-produci...

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has launched two long-term, target-based conservation Strategic Plans in the past two decades. We compiled an index-based assessment framework to evaluate target achievements of the CBD using long-term indicators. The CBD Index is steadily increasing, with the Goal Indices for biodiversity mainstreaming,...

Background Flavonoids are important plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) that have been widely used for their health-promoting effects. However, little is known about overall flavonoid metabolism and the interactive effects between flavonoids and the gut microbiota. The flavonoid-rich bamboo and the giant panda provide an ideal system to bridge this...

In this work, we discussed and counter-commented Paul J. Weldon's comments on our recent paper (Zhou et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 117:32493, 2020a), where we reported that BCP/BCPO (beta-caryophyllene/caryophyllene oxide) in fresh horse manure is sufficient to drive manure rolling behavior (HMR) in giant panda and attenuate the cold sensitivity of...

Mammalian chemosignals—or scent marks—are characterized by astounding chemical diversity, reflecting both complex biochemical pathways that produce them and rich information exchange with conspecifics. The microbiome of scent glands was thought to play prominent role in the chemical signal synthesis, with diverse microbiota metabolizing glandular p...

Significance In nature, it is extremely rare to observe attraction to fecal matter between wild mammalian species. Horse manure rolling (HMR) behavior described in this study is frequently observed in QIN pandas at low habitat temperature. Based on integrated analysis from climatic data, animal behaviors, and molecular assays, HMR is found as a tem...

Many factors, including the inner status of the individuals and external environment, can influence the parasite infections and stress physiology in mammals. Here, we explored the influence of the sex, age, reproductive season and seasonal food availability on the parasitism and stress physiology in wild giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) throug...

Species are the cornerstone in many domains of biology research, which make accurate species delimitation critically important. In this study, the systematics and biogeography of the Hyla chinensis group were analyzed based on phylogeny, species delimitation, and ancestral area reconstruction methods. The phylogenetic results showed that six specif...

Interspecific killing is a primary reason for the low survival rates of some animal species. The giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an altricial eutherian mammal and thus, in comparison to other infants, panda cubs are highly vulnerable, which may significantly influence the selection of breeding sites by females. Here, we used infrared camer...

Background Species are the cornerstone in many domains of biology research, which made the accurate species delimitation became critically important. In this study, the systematics and biogeography of the Hyla chinensis -group were analyzed based on phylogeny, species delimitation and ancestral area reconstruction methods. Results The phylogenetic...

Signal detection theory predicts that animals should select scent‐marking sites in a way that maximizes their probability of detection by target receivers. Many studies have been conducted with a focus on signaling behavior and function. Yet, the role of the environment in structuring scent‐mark patterns is poorly known. We studied the giant panda,...

Competition often occurs between two or more sympatric species that use similar ecological niches. During competition, a superior species may exclude the competitor from parts of its fundamental niche or make it go extinct. Determining the potential competition between two sympatric species including an endangered one has important implications for...

Giant pandas are unusual in belonging to a primarily carnivorous clade and yet being extremely specialized herbivores that feed almost exclusively on highly fibrous bamboo [1]. Paradoxically, they appear inconsistently adapted to their plant diet, bearing a mix of herbivore and carnivore traits. Herbivore traits include a skull, jaw musculature, an...

Seasonally reproducing animals show many behavioral and physiological changes during the mating period, including increased signaling for intrasexual competition and mate attraction. We collected 102 anogenital gland secretions (AGS) from marking trees in Foping Nature Reserve, and used gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyze these chemical co...

Aim The characterization of the genetic structure and demographic dynamics of a species can shed light on the impacts of natural landscapes, historical climate change and human activities, thus enabling us to develop appropriate protection and management strategies. In this study, we aimed to characterize how the above‐mentioned factors shaped the...

Ecosystem services (the benefits to humans from ecosystems) are estimated globally at $125 trillion/year [1, 2]. Similar assessments at national and regional scales show how these services support our lives [3]. All valuations recognize the role of biodiversity, which continues to decrease around the world in maintaining these services [4, 5]. The...

Inbreeding can have negative consequences on population and individual fitness, which could be counteracted by inbreeding avoidance mechanisms. However, the inbreeding risk and inbreeding avoidance mechanisms in endangered species are less studied. The giant panda, a solitary and threatened species, lives in many small populations and suffers from...

The giant flying squirrel Petaurista petauri is a large rodent studied by few researchers. Here, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of P. petauri. Similar to the typical vertebrate mitochondrial genome, the mtDNA of P. petauri also contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes) and a noncoding region (D-lo...

Rufous-breasted Accentor (Prunella strophiata) is a small-sized bunting with an extremely geographical range in the world. Here, the complete mitochondrial genome of P. strophiata (16,830 bp in length) has been analyzed for building the database. Similar to the typical mtDNA of vertebrates, it contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA g...

Stable isotope analysis is very useful in animal ecology, especially in diet reconstruction and trophic studies. Differences in isotope ratios between consumers and their diet, termed discrimination factors, are essential for studies of stable isotope ecology and are species- and tissue-specific. Given the specialized bamboo diet and clear foraging...

In this paper, the complete mitochondrial genome of Glaucidium brodiei is sequenced and reported for the first time. The mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 17,318 bp in length, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and a control region. Overall base composition of the complete mitocho...

Aimed to evaluate the phylogenetic position of the recently described Protobothrops dabieshanensis Huang et al. (2012), phylogenic relationships of 12 species within Protobothrops based on four mtDNA gene fragments (12S RNA, 16S RNA, ND4 and Cyt b) were reconstructed in our study. The result indicates a clade composed of P. dabieshanensis, P. jerdo...

Abstract The mitochondrial genome of Aythya ferina (Anatidae: Aythya) is a circular molecule of 16,616 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and one control region (D-loop). Overall base composition of the complete mitochondrial DNA was 29.42% A, 22.19% T, 32.83% C and 15.56% G. All the genes...

Twelve highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized for the frog Yerana yei. Loci were isolated from a genomic library from Y. yei enriched for (ATAG)n repetitive elements. We designed primers that reliably amplified twelve polymorphic loci and tested them on 32 individuals from two populations. The number of alleles pe...

Abstract The Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is a common large duck with widely geographic distribution. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of A. acuta (16,599 bp in length) was been analyzed for building the database. Similar to the typical mtDNA of vertebrates, it contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes and 22 tRNA g...

Abstract The mitochondrial genome of Anas poecilorhyncha (Anatidae: Anas) is a circular molecule of 16,608 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 1 control region (D-loop). Overall base composition of the complete mitochondrial DNA was 29.17% A, 22.21% T, 32.81% C and 15.81% G.

The Emberiza pusilla is a common bunting with very wide geographical range. Here, the complete mitochondrial genome of E. pusilla (16,790 bp in length) has been analyzed for building the database. The results showed that it consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 1 control region. The base composition...