成就奖获奖人汪小全

汪小全，生于1967年12月。植物进化生物学家，中国科学院植物研究所研究员、博士生导师、所长，长期从事植物系统发生、进化和生物地理学研究。汪小全于1989年毕业于安徽师范大学，1992年和1997年在中国科学院植物研究所分别获得硕士和博士学位。1992年至今，在中国科学院植物研究所工作，1998-1999年在美国密歇根州立大学进行访问研究。曾任系统与进化植物学国家重点实验室副主任、常务副主任和主任（2002-2017），《生物多样性》常务副主编和主编（1999-2008）。现任中国植物学会副理事长兼秘书长，国家植物园副理事长，中华人民共和国濒危物种科学委员会委员，国家林业和草原局野生植物标准化技术委员会副主任委员，国家植物标本资源库主任，中国科学院植物科学数据中心主任，Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution副主编等。1997年获中国科学院院长奖学金特别奖，1999年获首届全国优秀博士论文奖，2004年获国家杰出青年科学基金，2006年被评为中国科学院研究生院优秀教师，2009年入选“新世纪百千万人才工程”国家级人选，2011年获政府特殊津贴。

汪小全主要研究裸子植物的分类、系统发生和进化。裸子植物是全球濒危植物比例最高的类群之一，其物种数量虽不及被子植物的0.36%，却多为重要的森林树种，仅松柏类就构成了世界森林面积的39%。然而，裸子植物的世代周期长、形态趋同进化突出、基因组极其庞大，且缺乏成熟的遗传转化体系，因而其分类、进化历史和机制研究一直面临巨大挑战。汪小全通过三十余年的坚持与努力，在全球尺度对裸子植物的多样性、亲缘关系、物种形成、分子进化及分布格局成因等开展了系统研究。他还深入研究了杜鹃花属等青藏高原及周边地区代表性植物类群的物种多样性形成机制、种群动态及其对气候和环境变迁的响应。主要科技成就体现在三个方面。

1. 裸子植物科属的进化关系重建

裸子植物占种子植物五大支系中的四支，即苏铁类、银杏类、松柏类和倪藤类（买麻藤类），其中倪藤类（Gnetales）的系统位置一直难以确定，导致种子植物几大支系间进化关系的争议长达近半个世纪。此外，裸子植物很多科属的起源和进化关系也长期处于争论之中。

汪小全利用逾千个直系同源基因，重建了首个坚实的种子植物主干支系进化树，确定了裸子植物的所有科间关系，尤其是倪藤类为松科的姐妹群；发现倪藤类与被子植物间的分子趋同进化导致了以往研究中倪藤类系统位置的巨大争议；确立了裸子植物是一个自然的单系类群，而传统的松柏类不是一个单系。汪小全还对所有裸子植物属间进化关系进行了重建，并率先利用谱系基因组学方法坚实重建了松科、罗汉松科和广义柏科（包括传统的杉科和柏科）的属间关系，确定著名的一级保护植物银杉是松属的姐妹群。

该成果为裸子植物自然分类系统的建立奠定了坚实基础，解决了倪藤类进化位置的长期争论，改变了人们对裸子植物几大支系间进化关系的认识。

2. 裸子植物的物种多样性形成机制和地理分布格局成因解析

裸子植物具有独特的地理分布格局，其中北半球松柏类的大部分物种分布于中纬度山地，不符合经典的物种多样性纬度梯度格局，即物种多样性从赤道到两极逐渐减少。该独特分布格局的成因是学界的未解之谜。此外，松柏类中绝大部分多型属（一个属包含多个物种）的属下分类、种间关系和洲际间断分布的成因也存在很大争议。

汪小全利用谱系基因组学方法等，重建了广义柏科和罗汉松科的时空进化历史，发现这两个科分别起源于三叠纪的亚洲和冈瓦纳古陆（澳大利亚及周边地区），且劳亚古陆和冈瓦纳古陆的分离促进了柏亚科和澳洲柏亚科间的分化；揭示了松科这一北半球特有类群中几乎所有物种的进化关系，尤其是结合气候、土壤等方面的一系列生态因子解析，首次重建了全球最重要木本属——松属、冷杉属等类群中所有物种的时空进化历史，阐明了物种多样性分布的驱动因子。研究发现松属应分为两个亚属、4个组和 13个亚组，约90%的现存物种在中新世形成，地形、抗旱性和耐火性等因素塑造了物种多样性格局。中纬度地区的物种更古老，因而是松属的“进化博物馆”。此外，云杉属等在亚洲的物种多样性远高于北美，但这些类群起源于北美，通过白令陆桥扩散到亚洲，而非前人提出的东亚起源，进一步说明物种多样性的中心未必是起源地。上述研究还确定了巧家五针松、百山祖冷杉、资源冷杉、梵净山冷杉、元宝山冷杉等我国一级保护植物的进化位置，指出松属对温暖、干燥生境的偏好有助于其适应人类世的气候变化。

汪小全还揭示了裸子植物的多种物种形成模式，包括高山松的同倍体杂交物种形成、麻黄属高频率的异源多倍体物种形成和网状进化、华山松的隐性物种形成等；率先对我国濒危植物开展了DNA水平的遗传多样性分析，为一级保护植物银杉开发了精准、便捷的单核苷酸多态性溯源技术，溯源到来源山系的准确率达到100%。

该成果对理解裸子植物的时空进化历史和生物多样性大尺度格局及其成因具有重要意义，推动了植物物种水平的生命之树重建和分子生物地理学研究，并为松科植物的分类和保护奠定了坚实基础。

3. 青藏高原及周边地区代表性植物类群的进化历史和种群动态研究

青藏高原及周边地区是全球生物多样性的热点地区，也是我国裸子植物多样性最丰富的区域，还拥有杜鹃花属等标志性的辐射进化类群，但很多类群的起源和进化历史不清楚。

汪小全通过谱系基因组学和生态学分析，重建了全球杜鹃花属的坚实进化框架，将其分为5个亚属，发现该属于中新世南迁至喜马拉雅-横断山区时发生了快速物种分化，叶片功能性状的适应性分化以及地形异质性、亚洲季风增强导致的降水量增加等共同驱动了该属物种多样性的形成；进一步的基因组、转录组和代谢组比较分析揭示了该属广泛分布的基因组基础和和花色多样性的形成机理，发现不同生境的物种中发生了抗性基因家族的大幅收缩或扩张，而为了适应相似的高海拔生境，不同物种甚至同一物种的不同群体在基因组上发生了趋同进化。

利用群体遗传学和谱系生物地理学方法，汪小全还发现青藏高原隆升促进了植物种群遗传分化，加速了物种形成，且云南铁杉和长花马先蒿种群从横断山区向喜马拉雅和高原台面扩张时，发生了强烈的奠基者效应；第四纪气候变化重塑了高原生物种群的分布，但冰期时部分生物在高原上存在避难所，因而支持青藏高原在末次盛冰期并不存在大面积冰川的观点。

该成果深化了人们对青藏高原物种形成机制的理解，为世界性植物大属的适应性进化研究提供了典型例证，同时为青藏高原气候和环境变迁研究提供了生物学证据。

汪小全是我国植物分子系统学和谱系生物地理学研究的开拓者之一，推动了我国首个国家植物园的设立，牵头建设了国家植物标本资源库、中国科学院植物科学数据中心等，在 PNAS、 Nat Plants、Nat Commun、Mol Biol Evol、Cell Rep、Adv Sci、Proc R Soc B、Mol Ecol、Mol Phylogenet Evol、J Biogeogr、J Integr Plant Biol等国内外学术期刊发表论文100余篇，为我国植物科学发展、国家植物园体系建设、生物多样性保护等做出了突出贡献。

Laureateof the 5th Wu Zhengyi Award in Botany (Achievement Award), 2025 —WANG Xiao-Quan

Professor Xiao-Quan Wang (born in December 1967) is an internationally recognized plant evolutionary biologist and currently serves as Director Generaland Professor at the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). His research focuses on plant phylogeny, evolution, and biogeography, with a particular focus on gymnosperms. Professor Wang received his B.Sc. from Anhui Normal University in 1989, followed by M.S. (1992) and Ph.D. (1997) degrees from the Institute of Botany, CAS. From 1998 to 1999, he conducted research as a visiting scholar in Michigan State University in the United States.

Professor Wang has held several major academic leadership roles, including Deputy Director, Executive Deputy Director, and Director (2002-2017) of the State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, and Executive Editor-in-Chief and Editor-in-Chief (1999-2008) of the journal Biodiversity Science. He currently serves as the Vice President of the China National Botanical Garden, Vice President and Secretary-General of Botanical Society of China, Member of Endangered Species Scientific Commission of the People's Republic of China, Vice Chair of the Wild Plant Standardization Technical Committee of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Director of National Plant Specimen Resource Center, and Director of CAS Plant Science Data Center. He is also Associate Editor of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, and Editor of Plant Biology. His scientific excellence has been recognized through numerous honors, including the CAS President Scholarship (Special Prize, 1997), the First National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award(1999), the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (2004), selection into the “New Century National Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talent Project” (2009), and the State Council Special Allowance (2011).

Professor Wang’s research focuses onthe classification, phylogeny, and evolution of gymnosperms. Although gymnosperms contain less than 0.36% of the species richness of angiosperms, they include many ecologically dominant forest trees, and conifers alone occupy nearly 39% of the world's forested land. At the same time, gymnosperms represent one of the plant lineages with the highest proportion of endangered species worldwide, underscoring the urgency of clarifying their evolutionary history and informing conservation efforts. However, research on gymnosperm evolution has long been impeded by their long generation time, pronouncedmorphological convergence, exceptionally large genomes, and the absence of genetic transformation system. Over the pastthree decades, Professor Wang has systematically addressed these challenges through integrative studies on the diversity, phylogenetic relationships, speciation, molecular evolution, and biogeographic drivers shapinggymnosperms distribution worldwide. He has alsoextensively studiedspecies diversification, population dynamics andresponses to climatic and environmental changes in representative plant groups (e.g., Rhododendron) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateauandadjacent regions.

Professor Wang’s major scientific achievements can be summarized in the following three contributions:

1.       Reconstructing the evolutionary relationships of gymnosperm families and genera

Gymnosperms comprise four of the five major lineages of seed plants: cycads, ginkgo, conifers, and Gnetales. Among them, the phylogenetic position of Gnetales has beennotoriously difficult to determine, fueling controversy over the evolutionary relationships among the major seed plant lineages for nearly half a century. Additionally, the origins and evolutionary relationships of numerous gymnosperm families and genera were long unresolved due to convergent morphology and limited genomic evidence. By analyzing over a thousand orthologous genes, Professor Wang reconstructed the first robust backbone phylogenyof major seed plant lineages, in which all interfamilial relationships within gymnosperms are well resolved,andGnetales is anchored as the sister group of Pinaceae. He further demonstrated that molecular convergence between Gnetales and angiosperms was a key factor causing the historical controversy over the placement of Gnetales. His work confirmed gymnosperms as a natural monophyletic group while demonstrating that traditional conifers are not monophyletic.

Expanding from the family to the genus level, Professor Wang subsequently reconstructed the evolutionary relationships of all gymnosperm genera. He pioneered the application of phylogenomic methods to resolve the intergeneric relationships of Pinaceae, Podocarpaceae, and Cupressaceae sensu lato (including traditional Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae), and identified Cathaya argyrophylla, a famous endangered conifer, as the sister lineage to Pinus (pines).

These achievements established a rigorous framework for a natural classification system for gymnosperms and provided crucial insights into the global patterns and drivers of plant biodiversity. By resolving the long-standing debate over the evolutionary position of Gnetales and clarifying sister-group relationships, such as those between cycads and ginkgo, and between Pinaceae and Gnetales, Professor Wang fundamentally reshaped scientific understanding of gymnosperm evolution.

2.       Revealing the mechanisms shaping species diversityand geographic distribution patterns of gymnosperms

Gymnosperms exhibit distinctive geographic distribution patterns. In particular, most conifers species in the Northern Hemisphere are concentrated in mountainous areas at middle latitudes, deviating from the classic latitudinal diversity gradient, in which species richness typically decreases from the equator toward the poles. The mechanisms underlying this unusual distribution have long remained an unresolved question in the scientific community. In addition, there has been considerable debate over infrageneric classification, interspecific relationships, and the causes of intercontinental disjunctions of many species-rich conifer genera.

Using integrative phylogenomic and biogeographic approaches, Professor Wang reconstructed the spatiotemporal evolutionary history of Cupressaceae s.l. and Podocarpaceae. He demonstrated that the two families originated in Asia and Gondwana (Australia and surrounding regions) during the Triassic, respectively, and that the north-south separation of Laurasia and Gondwana promoted the divergence between Cupressoideae and Callitroideae. He also elucidated the evolutionary relationships of nearly all species of Pinaceae. Building upon these breakthroughs, Professor Wang was the first to reconstruct the spatiotemporal evolutionary history of globally crucial woody genera like Pinus and Abies. His research clarified the drivers of species diversity distribution and yielded several key insights: Pinus comprises 2 subgenera, 4 sections, and 13 subsections; middle latitudes species are much older than those at other latitudes, and approximately 90% of extant species originated during the Miocene. He showed that topography, drought tolerance, and fire resistance jointly shaped the species diversity pattern. These evidences suggest that the midlatitude region has served as an evolutionary museum for global pines. Genera such as Picea exhibit much higher species diversity in Asia than North America, yet they originated in North America and later dispersed into Asia via the Bering land bridge, contradicting long-held hypotheses of East Asian origin. This finding furtherdemonstrates that centers of species diversity are not necessarily centers of origin. Professor Wang’s research also clarified the evolutionary positions of several endangered species such as Pinus squamata, Abies beshanzuensis, A. ziyuanensis, A. fanjingshanensis, and A. yuanbaoshanensis. Moreover, he revealed that the preference of Pinus for warm and somewhat drier habitats could be helpful to its adaptation to the Anthropocene climate change.

Professor Wang also uncovered multiple modes of speciation in gymnosperms, such as homoploid hybrid speciation of Pinus densata, frequent allopolyploid speciation and reticulate evolution in Ephedra, and cryptic speciation in Pinus armandii. He pioneered DNA-level genetic diversity analysis of endangered plants in China, and developed an accurate and user-friendly single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) -based tracing technique for the nationally protected species Cathaya argyrophylla, achieving 100% accuracy in identifying source mountain ranges.

These achievements are of great significance for understanding the spatiotemporal evolutionary history of gymnosperms and the mechanisms underlying large-scale biodiversity patterns. They have advanced species-level Tree of Life reconstruction and molecular biogeographical studies, and laid a solid foundation for the classification and conservation of species in thepine family.

3.       Elucidating evolutionary histories and population dynamics of representative plant groups in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding regions

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding regions are global biodiversity hotspots that harbor exceptionally rich gymnosperm diversity, as well as iconic plant groups that have undergone remarkable evolutionary radiations, such as Rhododendron. Yet, the origins, diversification processes, and evolutionary histories of many of these lineages have remained insufficiently understood.

Through integrated phylogenomic and ecological analyses, Professor Wang reconstructed a robust global evolutionary framework for Rhododendron, recognizing five subgenera within the genus. He discovered that Rhododendron experienced rapid species diversification during its southward migration into the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region during the Miocene. This diversification was jointly driven by adaptive divergence in leaf functional traits, pronounced topographic heterogeneity and increased precipitation driven by enhanced Asian monsoons. Comparative genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses further uncovered thegenomic basis underlying the genus’s wide geographic distribution and striking flower color diversity. These studies revealed extensive contraction or expansion of resistance gene families in species from different habitats, and showed that convergent genomic evolution arose not only among distinct species but also among populations of the same species adapting to similar high-altitude environments.

Using population genetics and phylogeographical approaches, Professor Wang further found that the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau promoted population genetic differentiation and accelerated speciation of plants. Strong founder effects occurred during the expansion of Tsuga dumosa and Pedicularis longiflora populations from the Hengduan Mountains into the Himalayas and the plateau platform. He also showed that quaternary climate oscillations reshaped the distribution of plateau biota, yet refugia persisted during glacial periods, providing evidence that large-scale ice sheets did not cover the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Collectively, these studies deepen our understanding of speciation mechanisms on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, offer a representative model for studying adaptive evolution in globally significant large plant genera, and provide crucial biological evidence for past climate and environmental changes on the plateau.

Professor Wang is one of the pioneering and leading figures in plant molecular systematics and phylogeography in China. He played a pivotal role in establishingChina's first national botanical garden, was a key initiator in building major national research infrastructures such as theNational Plant Specimen Resource Center and Plant Science Data Center of CAS. He has published over 100 papers in prestigious scientific journals, including PNAS, Nature Plants, Nature Communications, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Cell Reports, Advanced Science, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Molecular Ecology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Journal of Biogeography, and Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. His contributions have profoundly advanced plant science and laid critical foundations for the development of the national botanical gardens and biodiversity conservation in China.