Principal component and PLS discriminant analyses applied on skulls of European shrews of the genus Sorex (Mammalia , Soricidae)

Volume: 41Start Page: 141End Page: 15

G-banded karyotype of the alpine shrew, Sorex alpinus (Mammalia, Soricidae), from the Sumava Mts

The G-banded karyotype of two individuals of the alpine shrew Sorer alpinus collected from the Sumava Mountains (Czech Republic) is presented. The diploid number of chromosomes was 56 and both the morphology and the G-banding pattern of chromosomes appeared to be very similar Gto those reported from the Alps and the Jura Mountains. This is the first report on the G-banded chromosomes of this species outside Switzerland and eastern France

Genetic and morphometric comparison betweenSorex arunchi Lapini and Testone, 1998, and other shrews from Italy

The results of allozymic, morphologic and morphometric studies performed on three parapatric shrews of the genus Sorex from northern Italy are presented. These data clearly indicate: (1) Sorex samniticus is genetically well differentiated from S. araneus and S, arunchi, displaying a high mean value of genetic distance in comparison with the other two species (D = 0.463). (2) S, araneus and S. arunchi display low values of genetic distance (D = 0.007) and the latter shows lower levels of genetic variability. Altough no fixed allele difference was observed, an exclusive allele (Lap-2(96)) is present in S. arunchi at low frequence, another one (Pgm-1(96)) is rare in S. araneus and quite frequent in S. arunchi, and several alleles (12) of S. araneus are missing in S. arunchi. In S. araneus some of these alleles are quite frequent. (3) Strong morphometric differences between S. araneus and S. arunchi permit to distinguish these parapatric shrews with great accuracy, also in some cases of marginal sympatry. These evidences support the hypothesis that S, arunchi might be a recent (end of Pleistocene-lower Holocene) relict of the subgenus Sorex s. s

Revision and new data on the Early and Middle Miocene soricids (Soricomorpha, Mammalia) from Central and South-Eastern France

International audienceNew or poorly known Soricids from the Early Miocene of Central France (Limagne d'Allier) and from the Middle Miocene of South-Eastern France (near Lyon) are studied; one new genus (Viretia) and a newspecies (Carposorex burkarti) are described. The soricid assemblages of the Early and late Early/Middle Miocene localities are totally different from each other and new information about appearance and evolution of the taxa are introduced. The following are lists of studied taxa for the beginning of the EarlyMiocene: Clapasorex bonisi, Clapasorex aff. sigei, Carposorex burkarti nov. sp., Soricella cf. discrepans, Oligosorex aff. antiquus and Crocidosoricinae indet, and for the late Early/Middle Miocene Dinosorex sansaniensis, Dinosorex pachygnathus, Heterosorex delphinensis, Miosorex desnoyersianus, Miosorex grivensis, Lartetium dehmi, Lartetium ziegleri, Turiasorex pierremeini, Viretia nov. gen. gracilidens, Paenelimnoecus micromorphus, Paenelimnoecus crouzeli and Hemisorex robustus