Three New Karyotypic races of the Common Shrew Sorex araneus (Mammalia: Insectivora) and a Phylogeny

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Abstract
Three new karyotypic races of common shrew have been found in Britain [UK]: the Aberdeen race (northeastern Scotland); the Oxford race (central and northern Britain); and the Hermitage race (southeastern England). The karyotypes of all these races include metacentrics hi, jl and gm. Their karyotypes differ in metacentrics composed of chromosome arms k, n, o, p, q, r. (Aberdeen: ko, np, qr; Oxford: kq, no, pr; Hermitage: ko only). The relationship of all 12 known karyotypic races of the common shrew was examined by cladistic analysis. The results, supported by the geographic distribution of the races, suggest that there are 3 phylogenetic groups of common shrew (the West European, East European and Siberian [USSR] phylogenetic groups) to which 10 of the 12 karyotypic races can be ascribed (the British races belong to the West European phylogenetic group). Of the remaining 2 races, the Kuusijoki race in northern Scandinavia has characteristics of both the West European and East European phylogenetic groups and may have originated through hybridization; the Valais race in Switzerland shows no close relationship to the other races. The European range of the common shrew probably was restricted to southern parts during the last glacial maximum. The West European phylogenetic group probably spread over an area extending from southeastern to northwestern Europe at the end of the ice age.

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