红狐之谜的答案在于他们的DNA

科学家知道，欧洲人将红狐狸带到北美，可能是为了狩猎，而其他红狐狸则从皮草农场逃到了野外。但是，在东海岸和北卡罗来纳州发现了一些红狐狸吗？

根据野生动植物遗传学专家的说法Liz Kierepka，这个谜的答案在于他们的DNA。

摘要与Kierepka进行了交谈，Kierepka在北卡罗来纳州和北卡罗来纳州自然科学博物馆共同任命，谈到了我们到目前为止对Red Foxes的起源的了解vulpes vulpes，在北卡罗来纳州和北美更广泛。

The Abstract：东南部有本地红狐狸吗？

Liz Kierepka：Based on genetic studies，我们认为东南部的绝大多数红狐狸原产于北美，主要属于一条被称为东部血统的狐狸。东部血统是北美红狐狸的三个相对良好，遗传上不同的谱系之一。所有这些谱系在冰河时代都分开了，我们今天可以看到它们的DNA差异。阿拉斯加还有另一个团体与亚洲红狐狸密切相关。

我们知道，美国东部中部地区有欧洲红狐狸的介绍。由于这一引入，弗吉尼亚州和马里兰州的非本地狐狸比例较高，其历史可追溯到1700年代。还有狐狸为它们的皮毛饲养，许多狐狸逃脱或释放。这些狐狸中的许多狐狸与我们的本土狐狸交织在一起。

ta：狐狸在北美走多远？

Kierepka：红狐es originated in the Middle East, and then they expanded across the globe. They crossed from Eurasia over the land bridge between Russia and Alaska about 400,000 years ago. When the Ice Ages occurred, previous habitats were covered in ice and foxes had to re-arrange themselves in unglaciated areas. Because of the glaciers, certain populations of foxes were no longer in genetic contact. They then evolved into the genetically different groups that you can still see today.

ta：你怎么知道这一切？

Kierepka：红狐es have been subject of much genetic study across the years.加州大学戴维斯分校的研究人员能够通过研究其DNA来识别北美的三个遗传学不同的红狐。在其DNA序列中发生的差异越多，动物的区别越多。

在这些遗传分析中，研究人员研究了线粒体中的DNA。线粒体DNA非常适合建造系统发育树，因为它通常反映出在冰河时代发生的隔离。线粒体DNA比核DNA容易得多。每个细胞有一个核，而数百至数千个线粒体。您可以从头发样品，粪便样品甚至唾液中获取DNA。

ta：北卡罗来纳州的红狐狸呢？他们是本地的还是被引入的？

Kierepka：The thing is about red foxes in North Carolina is that we haven’t really looked at the population here closely.在北美红狐狸遗传学特征的研究中，只有北卡罗来纳州的少数样品。在他们运行的少数样品中，一个可能是一个皮草农场个体，有两个是当地的。这里可能有本地狐狸，但我们不知道频率。我们只是没有足够的样本。

有历史记载,人们是ld speculate about this question. They suggested the possibility of the introduction of European foxes, but these are from records from the early 1800s and 1900s. There are multiple accounts saying they may have been brought over, but it is hard to verify these records.

ta：Why is it important to try to answer questions like this?

Kierepka：重要的是要了解物种如何适应新环境。当您进入入侵物种时，它可能会导致侵入性和本地物种一起繁殖。这种杂交会破坏适合某些环境的种群。

In California, for example, the non-native foxes do really well in human-dominated landscapes, while the native foxes prefer unaltered habitats. Some of these native foxes are on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and climate change. We might lose some of this genetic diversity that we did not know existed until we looked. I do not know if that’s happening in North Carolina or not, but we will only find out if we study it.

在保护方面，目标之一是保持尽可能多的遗传多样性，因为它可以帮助将来的物种适应栖息地的丧失和气候变化。

ta：灰狐是相同的物种吗？

Kierepka：灰狐是狗家族中最古老的罐头。他们与红狐狸如此不同。如果我杂交我会感到沮丧。这就像一只老鼠和松鼠杂交。