生物在极端环境下适应的进化模式一直是科学界关注的焦点，趋同进化是生物适应不同生态环境的重要策略之一，然而极端环境下趋同进化的案例及机制研究并不多见。裂腹鱼类是在青藏高原隆升过程中为适应高原环境逐渐演化形成的，为我们研究极端环境下的趋同进化提供了丰富的素材，但有关裂腹鱼类趋同进化的报道目前很少。我们长期对裂腹鱼类分子系统发育的研究提供了该类群中可能存在趋同进化的诸多线索，暗示趋同进化发生在裂腹鱼类基于形态分类的一些亚种间甚至种内地理种群间广泛的特征上，如此高程度的趋同现象在自然界中很少发生，提示裂腹鱼类演化的历史比过去认为的更加复杂，进一步深入的研究将具有重要意义。本项目以分子系统发育为基础，以我们已有的研究积累为线索，分析可能发生趋同的裂腹鱼类形态演化的系统发育轨迹，揭示裂腹鱼类中的趋同进化现象，同时在种群遗传、生物学和生态学等方面的研究基础上，探讨高原极端环境下鱼类趋同进化发生的机制。

Understanding how organisms adapt to extreme environments is a central goal in evolutionary biology. Convergent evolution is one of the important strategies for organisms to adapt to different ecological environments. However, the studies on the mechanisms of convergent evolution of organisms under extreme environments are very rare. The schizothoracinae fishes, a group of species formed along the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, provide a wealth of materials for us to investigate the process of convergent evolution of organisms under extreme environments. But this process in schizothoracinae fishes remains largely unknown. Our long-term molecular phylogenetic studies have provided clues of convergent evolution that may have occurred in this group of fishes among different geographical populations or geographical ecotypes based on morphological characteristics. Noteworthy, such a high degree of convergence phenomenon is rarely found in nature, suggesting that evolution history of schizothoracinae fishes is more complex than previously thought. Hence, it is of great importance for further study on this process. This project intends to analyze the phylogenetic track of morphological evolution of possibly ongoing convergence in schizothoracinae fishes based on our previous work, trying to reveal the phenomenon of convergent evolution in schizothoracinae fishes. Meanwhile, we plan to explore the molecular mechanisms of convergent evolution occurred in these endemic fishes under the extreme environments of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau based on the theories and methods of ecology, morphology and population genetics.