Genetic structure of the common shrew Sorex araneus L. 1758 (Mammalia, Lipotyphla) in continuous and fragmented areas

In this work the genetic variability of the common shrew populations Sorex araneus L. in Eastern Europe was studied via mitochondrial gene cyt b sequencing. A total of 82 sequences of the mitochondrial gene cyt b with a length of 953 basepairs were analyzed, including five chromosome races in a continuous natural area in forest zone and two races which inhabit fragmented area in the steppe zone. No apparent phylogenetic subdivision was discovered, and there was no significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances in continuous areas. We did not found convincing evidence that the narrow hybrid zones between chromosome races have an influence on the flow of neutral alleles. A significant p-distance (0.69 ± 0.27%) between geographically close populations of the chromosome race Neroosa suggests the formation of the karyotype of this race in the Pliocene or Pleistocene. In our work, the phylogeographic structure was determined primely by species area fragmentation instead of its karyotypic features.