title: Molecular phylogenetics of shrews (Mammalia: Soricidae) reveal timing of transcontinental colonizations.
abstract: We sequenced 2167 base pairs (bp) of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b and 16S, and 1390 bp of nuclear genes BRCA1 and ApoB in shrews taxa (Eulipotyphla, family Soricidae). The aim was to study the relationships at higher taxonomic levels within this family, and in particular the position of difficult clades such as Anourosorex and Myosorex. The data confirmed two monophyletic subfamilies, Soricinae and Crocidurinae. In the former, the tribes Anourosoricini, Blarinini, Nectogalini, Notiosoricini, and Soricini were supported. The latter was formed by the tribes Myosoricini and Crocidurini. The genus Suncus appeared to be paraphyletic and included Sylvisorex. We further suggest a biogeographical hypothesis, which shows that North America was colonized by three independent lineages of Soricinae during middle Miocene. Our hypothesis is congruent with the first fossil records for these taxa. Using molecular dating, the first exchanges between Africa and Eurasia occurred during the middle Miocene. The last one took place in the Late Miocene, with the dispersion of the genus Crocidura through the old world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. sylvain.dubey@unil.ch <sylvain.dubey@unil.ch>
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salamin
authors.forename: Satoshi D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ohdachi
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barrière
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000569:Americas; D000818:Animals; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000235:genetics; D001208:Asia; D019313:BRCA1 Protein / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012788:Shrews / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D019313:BRCA1 Protein; D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S