DNA polymorphism within <i>Sorex araneus </i>from European Russia as inferred from mtDNA cytochrome <i>b </i>sequences
Genetic variation in the common shrew <i>(Sorex araneus) </i>in European Russia was studied using cytochrome <i>b </i>gene sequences. The genetic diversity, based on nucleotide substitutions (Kimura 2-parameter d=0.015 ± 0.003, h = 0.933), and the number of mtDNA haplotypes, was three times higher than described previously. However, levels of molecular divergence are often in contradiction with karyological data. While there are more than 20 karyotypic races in European Russia, only one clear phylogenetic group is revealed for cytochrome <i>b </i>(the North-eastern Group). The relationship of this group to other European <i>S. araneus </i>haplotypes is not clear. Over the main part of the European range of the common shrew geographic subdivision between haplotypes is lacking. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grants Nos. 03-04-48908 and 06-04-48631) and by the Scientific Program "Biodiversity" of the Russian Academy of Science. The authors are grateful to Drs I.F. Kupriyanova and A.V. Sivkov for part of the material and help in relation to other collections, and to Prof. J.B. Searle and Dr. M. Ratkiewicz for the thorough review of this article.