位于奥地利维也纳的维也纳大学研究团队于2026年8月25日发布了一项关于动物染色体进化的大规模比较分析成果，研究结果发表于《Science Advances》期刊 1。该研究由维也纳大学教授Oleg Simakov，以及曾作为博士后研究员领导该工作、现为Lehigh University助理教授的Darrin Schultz共同领导 1。研究团队对来自19个动物门、4454个物种的超过5800个染色体级别基因组进行了分析，追溯了超过6亿年的动物进化历史 1。
研究结果表明，动物染色体的进化并非随机发生，而是沿着有限的、不可逆的路径进行，研究者将这一现象称为“进化高速公路” 1。这一过程的主要驱动力是“融合-混合”（fusion-with-mixing）机制，即两条染色体结合后基因发生混合，导致原始排列无法恢复 1。分析还发现，蚊子、玻璃海绵和蚯蚓等谱系具有特别独特的基因组组织 1。该研究成功构建了首个统一的动物基因组组织“地图”，不仅可用于模拟未来基因组的进化方向，还能指导生物多样性保护工作 1。此项研究获得了欧洲研究委员会（Horizon 2020，grant No. 945026）和奥地利科学基金（FWF, grant P32190）等机构的资助 1。
Published on August 25, 2026, in Vienna, Austria, the study reveals that animal chromosome evolution is not random but follows limited, irreversible paths termed "evolutionary highways" 1. Researchers from the University of Vienna conducted a large-scale comparative analysis of over 5,800 chromosome-level animal genomes from 4,454 species across 19 animal phyla 1. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances 1. The project was co-led by University of Vienna Professor Oleg Simakov and Darrin Schultz, who directed the work as a postdoctoral researcher and is currently an assistant professor at Lehigh University 1.
Tracing over 600 million years of animal evolutionary history, the research has constructed the first unified "map" of animal genome organization 1. The primary driver of these chromosomal changes is a "fusion-with-mixing" process, where two chromosomes combine and their genes mix, making it impossible to restore the original arrangement 1. The analysis also identified mosquitoes, glass sponges, and earthworms as lineages with particularly unique genome organizations 1. Beyond mapping the past, this unified map can be utilized to simulate future directions of genome evolution and guide biodiversity conservation efforts 1. The research was supported by funding from the European Research Council (Horizon 2020, grant No. 945026), the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, grant P32190), and other organizations 1.
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