Although new empirical evidence shows that sympatric speciation has occurred in some species, there are few indisputable model organisms for this process of speciation. The two subspecies (Gymnocypris eckloni eckloni and G. e. scoliostomus) of the schizothoracine Gymnocypris fish species complex from a small glacier lake in the Tibetan Plateau, Lake Sunmcuo, fit several of the key characteristics of the sympatric speciation model. We used combined mitochondrial control region sequences and the cytochrome b gene (1894 bp) to address the phylogenetics and population genetics of 232 specimens of G. e. eckloni and G. e. scoliostomus, as well as all of its closely related sister species. We found that: (i) a total of four old lineages were uncovered in the widespread G. e. eckloni, of which only one was shown to be shared with all G. e. scoliostomus individuals and (ii) the new subspecies (G. e. scoliostomus) evolved in Lake Sunmcuo from the ancestral G. e. eckloni population within approximately 0.057 Ma. These two taxa of the species complex are morphologically distinct, and reproductive isolation is further suggested. Ecological disruptive selection based on morphological traits (e.g. mouth cleft characters) and food utilization may be a mechanism of incipient speciation of two sympatric populations within Lake Sunmcuo. This study provides the first genetic evidence for sympatric speciation in the schizothoracine fish.

Environmental monitoring of local climatic variations plays a vital role in the research on global warming, species diversity, ecological sustainability, and so on. Traditional monitoring technologies, such as meteorological stations or satellite imagery, can give an overall environment picture but at high cost, high energy consumption, and with insufficient regional details. Here, a networking system made of low‐cost, maintenance‐free, and distributed self‐powered wireless monitoring nodes is proposed, aimed at establishing a sensing system for long‐term and wide‐area environment monitoring. It is demonstrated that, as driven by gentle wind, these distributed nodes are able to monitor temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure automatically, and then transfer the sensing data to receiving terminals wirelessly using triboelectric nanogenerators as energy harvesting technologies. The longest transmitting distance is 2.1 km. Additionally, a sensing network is formed. By utilizing several nodes, a 2‐km2 region is covered, and the information can be transmitted live using a relay‐technology. Furthermore, the node is demonstrated to work for weeks, and continuously send back environmental data. Since the nodes are portable and the embedded sensors are customizable, it is anticipated that the system can be multifunctional and applied in many natural areas, such as forests, prairies, mountains, lake regions, and so on.

Six domestic yaks aged 6 years, comprising three culling male and three culling female yaks, from the Qinghai Lake area and three male semi‐wild yaks aged 6 months from Datong Yak Farm were used to detect the levels of amino acids, mineral elements, residual heavy metals and pesticides in yak meat. The results showed that there was little difference in amino acid levels for different types of yak by age and sex. The meat of the adult male yak was 7.35 mg/kg higher in calcium (P < 0.05) and 124 mg/kg higher in phosphorus (P < 0.01) than that of the adult female yak. There was an obvious difference in zinc content, and there was also a significant difference for copper and sulfur between adult male and female yaks (P < 0.01). Iron was 8.85 mg/kg higher in semi‐wild yaks than in domestic yaks, but there were no differences for other minerals. The levels of residual heavy metals and residual pesticides were well within those allowed by the National Standard of China. Furthermore, the data showed that introducing wild yak’s blood did not result in a quality change in the domestic yak meat. Yak meat from Qinghai Plateau has the characteristics of being non‐polluted and rich in amino acids in comparison with local yellow cattle meat.