Evolutionary biogeography of water shrews (Neomys spp.) in the western Palaearctic Region

Citation
B. Krystufek et al., Evolutionary biogeography of water shrews (Neomys spp.) in the western Palaearctic Region, CAN J ZOOL, 78(9), 2000, pp. 1616-1625
Citations number
54
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE ZOOLOGIE
ISSN journal
0008-4301 → ACNP
Volume
78
Issue
9
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1616 - 1625
Database
ISI
SICI code
0008-4301(200009)78:9<1616:EBOWS(>2.0.ZU;2-F
Abstract
We studied the morphology, DNA sequence, and Recent and Pleistocene distrib utions of three species of the water shrew genus Neomys (N. fodiens, N. ano malus, and N. teres) represented by samples from the Balkans and Asia Minor . Adaptations to semi-aquatic life (large body size, fringes of stiff hairs bordering the hind foot, and a tail keel) were most developed in N. fodien s and N. teres and least developed in N. anomalus. However, sympatric N. fo diens and N. anomalus did not differ significantly in relative braincase si ze. The three Neomys species clearly differed in glans penis morphology, N. teres being the most distinct, with a longer glans (length = 10.8-14.6 mm) than N. anomalus (7.0-8.0 mm) or N. fodiens (7.5-8.5 mm). Phylogenetic ana lysis placed N. fodiens as a sister-group to the anomalus-teres clade, base d on both cytochrome b and 12S rRNA fragments. Palaeodistribution maps are presented for the three Recent taxa and the palaeospecies N. newtoni and N. browni. Possible evolutionary scenarios are proposed.