Phylogeographic structure of the pygmy shrew: revisiting the roles of southern and northern refugia in Europe

Southern and northern glacial refugia are considered paradigms that explain the complex phylogeographic patterns and processes of European biota. Here, we provide a revisited statistical phylogeographic analysis of the pygmy shrew Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766 (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) examining the genetic diversity, genetic differentiation and demographic history in the Mediterranean peninsulas and in Western and Central Europe. The results showed support for genetically distinct and diverse phylogeographic groups consistent with southern and northern glacial refugia, as expected from previous studies, but also identified geographical barriers concordant with glaciated mountain ranges during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), early diversification events dated between the Upper Pleistocene and Lower Holocene for the main phylogeographic groups, and recent (post-LGM) patterns of demographic expansions. This study is the most comprehensive investigation of this species to date, and the results have implications for the conservation of intraspecific diversity and the preservation of the evolutionary potential of S. minutus

Phylogeographical structure of the pygmy shrew : revisiting the roles of southern and northern refugia in Europe

Southern and northern glacial refugia are considered paradigms that explain the complex phylogeographical patterns and processes of European biota. Here, we provide a revisited statistical phylogeographical analysis of the pygmy shrew Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766 (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae), examining its genetic diversity, genetic differentiation and demographic history in the Mediterranean peninsulas and in Western and Central Europe. The results showed support for genetically distinct and diverse phylogeographical groups consistent with southern and northern glacial refugia, as expected from previous studies. We also identified geographical barriers concordant with glaciated mountain ranges during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), early diversification events dated between the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene for the main phylogeographical groups, and recent (post-LGM) patterns of demographic expansions. This study is the most comprehensive investigation of this species to date, and the results have implications for the conservation of intraspecific diversity and the preservation of the evolutionary potential of S. minutus

Status of inbreeding in a closed flock of Avikalin Sheep

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Effect of inbreeding on growth of Avikalin Sheep

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The list of the chromosome races of the common shrew Sorex araneus (updated 2002)

In 1996 the International Sorex araneus Cytogenetics Committee (ISACC) published a comprehensive list of 50 chromosome races of the common shrew Sorex araneus (lima et al. 1996). Since that time twenty one new races have been described and three races have been removed from the list. The present list summarises the data about races described since the 1996 publication. The rules introduced by Searle et al. (1991) and Hausser et al. (1994) were followed in the compilation of the list. It can be considered a reference for further studies of evolutionary relationships between the chromosome races of Sorex araneus. A summary table of all the 68 known races, arranged alphabetically according to their names, is given

The evolutionary history of the two karyotypic groups of the common shrew, Sorex araneus, in Poland

Times Cited: 144International audienceGenetic variability within and among two karyotypic groups and five chromosome races of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) in Poland was assayed by sequencing a 1023 bp part of the cytochrome b gene (mtDNA) from 28 individuals. Thirty-four variable positions defined 21 distinct haplotypes with a maximum sequence divergence of 0.88%. No significant differentiation in the cytochrome b gene between Western and Eastern Karyotypic groups was found. Haplotype diversity estimates within the races and groups sampled were high (h = 0.800-0.928), while nucleotide diversity estimates were low (pi = 0.0034-0.0053). The distribution of pairwise nucleotide differences fits well with expectations of a 'sudden expansion' model. High haplotype diversity was accompanied by relatively high expected heterozygosity (Hr.) values in nuclear genes (calculated over 47 enzyme loci: HE = 0.031 - 0.049), giving no evidence for a recent bottleneck after the process of post-Pleistocene recolonization of Poland by the shrews. Thus, for S. araneus chromosome races in Poland, the data on the cytochrome b gene variability support the hypothesis assuming the Robertsonian fusions having spread into an ancestral acrocentric distribution