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We report on a small collection of shrews from the central part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three taxa are recognized, of which a long-tailed and a middle-sized species of Crocidura are described as C. salonga sp. nov. and C. binco sp. nov. Crocidura lwiroensis is recorded for the first time since its description from near Lake Tanganyika in 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocidura Wagler, 1832 is a widespread genus with high micro-endemism. Unfortunately, its Javan species lacks adequate information on its geographic distribution. Here, we present the first record of Crocidura umbra Demos, Achmadi, Handika, Maharadatunkamsi, Rowe & Esselstyn, 2016 from Mount Papandayan, which was previously thought to be endemic to Mount Gede, expand the geographic range of Crocidura orientalis Jentink, 1890 on Mount Papandayan and Crocidura monticola Peters, 1870 on Mount Sawal, and rediscover Crocidura brunnea Jentink, 1888 in Javan lowland forest. The new data provide important information to better understand this inadequately studied genus of small mammal on Java. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The genus Crocidura has ~200 species, which accounts for roughly half of the Soricidae family's diversity. The "pergrisea" species group, which comprises at least four species—Crocidura arispa, Crocidura pergrisea, Crocidura ramona, and Crocidura serezkyensis—is especially interesting among Crocidura endemics of central and western Asian regions. The taxonomic value of a fifth species, Crocidura armenica, has been unclear for a long time owing to the poor condition of the skulls of both type specimens. Using a microcomputed-tomography-based cybertaxonomic (CTtax) approach and a newly developed pipeline, "AProMaDesU", we re-evaluated the type material of the Armenian shrew and expanded the hypodigm of this species using three additional specimens. A morphospace analysis based on three-dimensional craniomandibular datasets revealed the uniqueness of C. armenica and C. arispa. The extraction of museum DNA from a unique collection of samples of the "Crocidura pergrisea" species complex, which comprises local endemics of Central and West Asia, allowed us to determine their inter- and intragroup relationships. The first step of this study was the re-evaluation of heavily damaged type specimens of C. armenica via a microcomputed-tomography-based cybertaxonomic approach (CTtax), which enabled a precise description of the species' morphology; three-dimensional models of the cybertypes were made available through the MorphoBank Repository. We developed the "AProMaDesU" pipeline on the basis of five requirements for micro-CT-based cyber-datasets in relation to mammalian collections. Our second step was a combination of several meticulous approaches to morphological investigation against a background of a cytb-based phylogeny, which helped us to make a taxonomic decision about the status of species of the "pergrisea" group, e.g., C. arispa, C. armenica, and C. serezkyensis, when the morphological results were partly incongruent with the molecular phylogeny. Nevertheless, under two assumptions, our findings preserved a separate species-level status of C. serezkyensis and C. arispa. In addition, we restored the species-level status of C. armenica. This taxonomic decision is based on our morphospace analysis, which revealed unique craniomandibular shape transformations within the rocky shrews that helped them with the transition to a new area of morphospace/trophic niches and consequently separated them from the other analyzed Crocidura groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We describe 3 new species of shrews (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae, Crocidura) from West Sumatra, Indonesia. Two of these taxa were found above 1,800 m on Mt. Singgalang. The third taxon was found above 1,660 m on Mt. Talamau, 65 km northwest of Mt. Singgalang. We also resurrect Crocidura aequicauda based on 2 specimens from Mts. Tujuh and Kerinci, which lie near the border between West Sumatra and Jambi provinces. Several methodological approaches support our findings: linear cranial morphometrics, landmark-based 2D geometric morphometrics, and molecular phylogenetics using both mtDNA and 6 nuclear exons. A multilocus species-tree analysis places the 3 new species and C. aequicauda in a clade with the Javan endemics C. monticola and C. umbra. Although the 2 taxa from Mt. Singgalang are recovered as sister species, 1 is nearly twice the size of the other, and they are divergent in several other morphological characters, such as tail length, cranium size, and pelage color and texture. Recently diverged yet morphologically disparate sister taxa living syntopically in an isolated habitat "island," like the montane forests of Mt. Singgalang, is unusual in mammals but documented in other Crocidura on neighboring Java and Borneo; these 2 new taxa represent the first known case of this phenomenon on Sumatra. Our results bring the number of Sumatran Crocidura to 10, 9 of which are endemic to the island. All 3 of the new species appear to be endemic to a single mountain and were not detected in similar surveys of nearby mountains. If this local endemism pattern is common, it would indicate that Sumatra's mammal diversity may be severely underestimated, largely due to the paucity of small-mammal surveys and museum specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subspecies differentiation of Chinese white-toothed shrew (Crocidura rapax) is controversial. In order to clarify the molecular phylogeographic pattern of C. rapax and provide further molecular biological evidence for taxonomy, this study analyzed the Cyt b gene sequences of C. rapax (20 samples) collected from Guizhou Province in China together with Cyt b gene sequences of C. rapax (19 samples) downloaded from GenBank. The phylogenetic tree was divided into three main clades: C. r. rapax, C. vorax, and C. rapax kurodai. The C. r. rapax is divided into Guizhou, Yunnan, southeast Sichuan lineage and central and west Sichuan lineage. The results of genetic distance showed that the greatest genetic distance was between central and west Sichuan lineage of C. r. rapax and C. r. kurodai (0. 1181), followed by between Guizhou, Yunnan, southeast Sichuan lineage of C. r. rapax and C. r. kurodai (0. 1174). The genetic distance between two lineages of C. r. rapax is 0. 0195. A similar geographical patterns was also observed in the median-joining network analysis. The results of median-joining network are consistent with the results of phylogenetic relationships and genetic distance, supporting the view that the sample from Taiwan is a separate species, namely, C. tadae. The C. rapax have no subspecies differentiation in China, and can be divided into Guizhou, Yunnan, southeast Sichuan lineage and central and west Sichuan lineage. Twenty-three haplotypes were found in the 32 samples of C. rapax, and the nucleotide polymorphism was 0. 01285. The analysis of population history suggested that C. rapax has experienced population expansion recently, but it is not a single dramatic expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot (EABH) offers an ideal location to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms producing a high level of endemic biodiversity. We tested the hypothesis that the cradle of Eastern Afromontane diversity is in the largest sub‐region of the EABH montane archipelago, that is the Ethiopian Highlands. Further, we expected that climate oscillations followed by elevational shifts in montane habitats facilitated the dispersal of small mammal populations across unsuitable arid lowlands. Location: Mountains and highlands of East Africa. Taxon: Shrews of the genus Crocidura (Eastern Afromontane phylogenetic clade). Methods: We collected comprehensive genetic data from 511 (mitochondrial gene for cytochrome b) and 147 (double digest Restriction‐Associated DNA sequencing) samples of Crocidura shrews across the EABH. We estimated phylogenetic relationships with Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood approaches. Population genetic analyses were performed in STRUCTURE to evaluate the internal structure of species outside Ethiopia. Ancestral area and dispersal routes were analysed by the BioGeoBears package. Results: Six major phylogenomic clades were delimited based on concatenated nuclear loci. The mitochondrial phylogeny roughly matches nuclear phylogenies, but with poorer resolution. Five of the six revealed clades are restricted to the Ethiopian Highlands, which is unambiguously the cradle of the diversity of this group of mammals (also confirmed by the biogeographic analysis). All non‐Ethiopian and a single Ethiopian species fall into the sixth clade with poorly resolved internal relationships. Detailed population genetic analysis of SNP data revealed a pronounced structure with multiple gene pools in this clade; however, this structure only partly corresponds with the current taxonomy. Main Conclusions: Eastern Afromontane Crocidura shrews originated in the Ethiopian Highlands. They radiated there, and through a single southward dispersal event across the Turkana depression, they colonised the rest of the EABH in response to diverse geomorphology and climatic changes during the Plio‐Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of museum DNA from a unique collection of samples of the “Crocidura pergrisea” species complex, which comprises local endemics of Central and West Asia, allowed us to determine their inter- and intragroup relationships. The first step of this study was the re-evaluation of heavily damaged type specimens of C. armenica via a microcomputed-tomography-based cybertaxonomic approach (CTtax), which enabled a precise description of the species’ morphology; three-dimensional models of the cybertypes were made available through the MorphoBank Repository. We developed the “AProMaDesU” pipeline on the basis of five requirements for micro-CT-based cyber-datasets in relation to mammalian collections. Our second step was a combination of several meticulous approaches to morphological investigation against a background of a cytb-based phylogeny, which helped us to make a taxonomic decision about the status of species of the “pergrisea” group, e.g., C. arispa, C. armenica, and C. serezkyensis, when the morphological results were partly incongruent with the molecular phylogeny. Nevertheless, under two assumptions, our findings preserved a separate species-level status of C. serezkyensis and C. arispa. In addition, we restored the species-level status of C. armenica. This taxonomic decision is based on our morphospace analysis, which revealed unique craniomandibular shape transformations within the rocky shrews that helped them with the transition to a new area of morphospace/trophic niches and consequently separated them from the other analyzed Crocidura groups.

A sample of midden contents found in a sink hole on Unguja, Zanzibar were dominated by Crocidura and Mastomys (probably natalensis) and were likely the remains following predation. I suggest that future studies of these middens in the numerous sink holes found throughout Unguja include camera traps which have the potential to greatly expand our understanding of predator–prey relations on this island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The ability of the gut microbiome has been posited as an additional axis of animals’ phenotypic plasticity. However, whether and how such plasticity varies across hosts with different biological features remains unclear. We performed a captivity experiment to compare how the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional microbial dynamics varied across a series of temperature and dietary disturbances in two mammals: the insectivorous-specialist Crocidura russula and the omnivorous-generalist Apodemus sylvaticus. Combining genome-resolved metagenomics, metabolic pathway distillation and joint species distribution modeling, we observed that, although microbiome alpha diversity of both species remained stable, C. russula exhibited substantially higher variability and directionality of microbial responses than A. sylvaticus. Our results indicate that the intrinsic properties (e.g., diversity and functional redundancy) of microbial communities coupled with physiological attributes (e.g., thermal plasticity) of hosts shape the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional response of gut microbiomes to environmental stressors, which might influence their contribution to the acclimation and adaptation capacity of animal hosts. IMPORTANCE In our manuscript, we report the first interspecific comparative study about the plasticity of the gut microbiota. We conducted a captivity experiment that exposed wild-captured mammals to a series of environmental challenges over 45 days. We characterized their gut microbial communities using genome-resolved metagenomics and modeled how the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional microbial dynamics varied across a series of disturbances in both species. Our results indicate that the intrinsic properties (e.g., diversity and functional redundancy) of microbial communities coupled with physiological attributes (e.g., thermal plasticity) of hosts shape the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional response of gut microbiomes to environmental stressors, which might influence their contribution to the acclimation and adaptation capacity of animal hosts.

A comprehensive investigation of small mammal populations was conducted at the ecological research station situated in Khonin Nuga, located in the upper reaches of the Eroo River within the West Khentey Mountains, spanning a duration of 14 years, from 2000 to 2013. The methodology employed encompassed both pitfall trapping and markrecapture live trapping techniques. The findings documented the presence of seven distinct species, comprising six soricids and one Crocidura. Noteworthy among the soricids were Sorex caecutiens, Sorex daphaenodon, and Sorex isodon, which exhibited the highest levels of abundance, with Sorex roboratus also being frequently captured. Conversely, species such as Sorex minutissimus, Sorex tundrensis, and Crocidura shantungensis were comparatively less abundant, with sporadic or singular occurrences. Estimates of species diversity, derived through the rarefaction method, revealed a species richness of 7, aligning closely with the empirical data amassed throughout the survey period. The analysis further revealed that three predominant shrew species were consistently observed across all major habitats under scrutiny. Specifically, S. caecutiens, S. daphaenodon, and S. isodon exhibited heightened capture rates within the floodplain meadows and both dark and light coniferous forest plots, respectively. Among the less common species, discernible habitat preferences emerged; for instance, S. roboratus demonstrated a propensity for open grass bog plots, while S. minutissimus exhibited a preference for rocky slopes. Additionally, Crocidura shantungensis displayed a predilection for southern steppe slopes. Sparse instances of S. tundrensis were documented within the confines of small floodplain meadows along tributaries of the Eroo River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilocus analysis was for the first time used to study the phylogeny of the Crocidura suaveolens s. l. species complex. Sequencing data for 16 nuclear genes indicated that several distinct forms exist within the species complex. The structure of the complex did generally not contradict its mitochondrial phylogeny. Siberian shrew showed certain specificity of the nuclear genome, but the degree of its genetic differentiation did not correspond to the species level. Relationships of Crocidura aff. suaveolens from South Gansu and Sichuan with other forms of the species complex were clarified. Shrews from Buryatia and Khentei also belong to this form, but their mtDNA apparently introgressed from C. shantungensis in the past. Hybridization of C. suaveolens s. str. with C. aff. suaveolens and C. güeldenstaedtii occurred recently. Due to multiple introgression events in the history of C. suaveolens s. l., a far larger set of loci is necessary for the analysis of the phylogenetic relationships between its forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocidura, white-toothed shrews, is the most species rich genus among mammals. Phylogeny at the species-level is still unresolved, especially for Turkey and its adjacent regions. To understand phylogenetic relationships and mitogenomic features of Turkey's Crocidura, we aimed to (i) sequence whole mitogenomes of Turkish shrews, (ii) determine phylogenetic relationships among/within the Crocidura suaveolens group and C. leucodon from Turkey by using mitogenomes minus D-loop; (iii) contribute to resolving the phylogenetic position of populations within the C. suaveolens group in a phylogeographical context by using mitochondrial CYTB gene alone, and (iv) discuss the role of possible glacial refugia that may have driven the diversification of some taxa within Crocidura. Based on two data sets, all analyses revealed that the Turkish shrews were divided into three major lineages: C. mimula, C. gueldenstaedtii, and C. leucodon. This was in agreement with results of previous studies, suggesting (i) that the taxa within the C. suaveolens group such as C. caspica, C. cypria, C. gueldenstaedtii, C. iculisma, C. mimula, and C. shantungensis were separate species. However, the existence of C. sibirica could not be confirmed. We also proposed (i) Carpathian and Caucasian refugia for C. mimula and C. gueldenstaedtii, respectively, and (ii) the existence of a new refugium for C. leucodon that covers Uludağ-Bursa and its adjacent surroundings in the southern Marmara region. Moreover, the Turkish samples of C. leucodon were clustered into two sublineages, and mimula shrews from Lesvos-Greece and Western Anatolia-Turkey might represent an undetermined or undescribed taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogeographic structure of the endemic white-toothed shrews of Vietnam, which belong to the Crocidura kegoensis–C. zaitsevi group, was assessed using mitochondrial and nuclear data. Specimens from 12 localities across Vietnam, including the holotypes of C. kegoensis and C. zaitsevi, were evaluated according to the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene and fragments of eight independent nuclear loci. The results of molecular analyses revealed the conspecificity of C. kegoensis and C. zaitsevi. Therefore, the name Crocidura zaitsevi Jenkins et al., 2007, can be considered as a synonym of C. kegoensis Lunde et al., 2004, which has a complex phylogeographical structure. The analysis of cytb proved the existence of distinct mtDNA lineages in C. kegoensis: lineage A, which is distributed in the northern and central parts of the Annamite Range; and lineage B, which is only found in the south parts of the species range. Nuclear data support the differentiation between northern and southern populations, with the position of the central populations remaining unresolved. The estimated divergence times of the main mitochondrial lineages indicate that the Vietnamese endemic group, C. kegoensis−C. zaitsevi, represents a young taxon, with all radiation events occurring in the cooling periods of the Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the most speciose genus of extant mammals - Crocidura, the pergrisea species complex distributed in South West Asia remains the least studied, largely due to the rarity of its representatives. We examined the phylogenetic position of two putative species of the pergrisea species complex (C. serezkyensis and C. arispa) using historical DNA isolated from museum specimens. On the basis of sequence data for two nuclear and one mitochondrial genes we have come to the following conclusions: C. serezkyensis and C. arispa are rather close to each other and belong to a separate lineage of white-toothed shrews for which C. ramona from Israel is the relatively close sister branch. The pergrisea species complex does not include C. zarudnyi, which was previously shown to be close to C. suaveolens. The clade including C. pergrisea species complex and C. ramona likely belongs to a large Afro-Mediterranean clade, which includes also the Afromontane clade, the Mediterranean clade and C. leucodon. The problems of systematics within the pergrisea species complex are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper offers a protocol for the analytic assessment of the intraspecific variability of dental morphology in shrews. Our approach blends a temporal aspect together with a comparative morphological analysis in terms of a unified morphogenetic concept based on the 'activator-inhibitor cascades model' and 'decreasing heritability model'. We used material from the upper Pleistocene and Holocene fossiliferous deposits of Koridornaya and Sukhaya caves in the Russian Far East and analysed the first upper molars of specimens that were similar in size to the teeth of Crocidura lasiura but differed in some proportions and qualitative features. We analysed the temporal variation of the molar shape against samples of the extant species C. lasiura, Crocidura sibirica and Crocidura shantungensis along with fossil specimens using geometric morphometry based on three-dimensional landmarks and semi-landmark datasets. Our results revealed correspondence of the fossil teeth to intraspecies variation of C. lasiura with a slight increase in the morphospace size. We also found two deviant teeth, which, however, also fell in the range of C. lasiura and were determined as Crocidura cf. C. lasiura. A detailed description of the dental features became possible with the use of the computed microtomography approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As viral genomic imprints in host genomes, endogenous viral elements (EVEs) shed light on the deep evolutionary history of viruses, ancestral host ranges, and ancient viral–host interactions. In addition, they may provide crucial information for calibrating viral evolutionary timescales. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive in silico screening of a large data set of available mammalian genomes for EVEs deriving from members of the viral family Flaviviridae , an important group of viruses including well-known human pathogens, such as Zika, dengue, or hepatitis C viruses. We identified two novel pestivirus-like EVEs in the reference genome of the Indochinese shrew (Crocidura indochinensis). Homologs of these novel EVEs were subsequently detected in vivo by molecular detection and sequencing in 27 shrew species, including 26 species representing a wide distribution within the Crocidurinae subfamily and one in the Soricinae subfamily on different continents. Based on this wide distribution, we estimate that the integration event occurred before the last common ancestor of the subfamily, about 10.8 million years ago, attesting to an ancient origin of pestiviruses and Flaviviridae in general. Moreover, we provide the first description of Flaviviridae -derived EVEs in mammals even though the family encompasses numerous mammal-infecting members. This also suggests that shrews were past and perhaps also current natural reservoirs of pestiviruses. Taken together, our results expand the current known Pestivirus host range and provide novel insight into the ancient evolutionary history of pestiviruses and the Flaviviridae family in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the habitat association of the diversity and abundance of small mammals in the Ukaguru Mountains within the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. An estimation of the vegetation parameters and live-trapping of small mammals for three consecutive nights per month for 21 months were carried out in farmland, disturbed and intact forests. A total of 1196 individual small mammals comprising 13 species were captured. Species diversity and evenness in intact forest were much higher compared to disturbed forest. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 87.7% of the variance with two factors. The study suggests vegetation and habitat disturbances are factors responsible for the observed diversity of small mammals in the Ukaguru Mountains. Mastomys natalensis, Mus triton and Praomys delectorum accounted for 90.0% of total captures. M. triton and M. natalensis were the most abundant in farmland with 46.8 and 42.8% of total captures respectively and associated with the herbaceous vegetation. P. delectorum correlated with litter depth and trees and accounted for 90.0 and 80.0% total captures in disturbed and intact forests respectively but the mean abundances in both habitats were not significantly different (p = 0.72). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern Afromontane region is a well-known hotspot of biodiversity and endemism; however, the relationships between groups of organisms inhabiting different highland areas are still poorly understood. Herein, the phylogenetic relationship between endemic Crocidura from Ethiopia and Tanzania was assessed using mitochondrial and nuclear data. At the genus scale, all analyses supported the monophyly of the Eastern Afromontane clade. Within this clade, most of the Ethiopian endemics form a group, which is paraphyletic relative to a more compact Tanzanian clade. The Ethiopian C. macmillani was found to be closely related to Tanzanian species. In fact, according to the mitochondrial DNA data, it may be a descendant of the C. montis–C. luna clade. The molecular dating results suggest that the Ethiopian–Tanzanian clade diverged at ca. 3.4 Mya while the onset of radiation within the clade corresponds to Early Pleistocene (ca. 2 Mya). The inferred phylogenetic pattern is consistent with the scenario that has Ethiopia as the primary centre of diversification for the Eastern Afromontane clade. The areas southwards from Ethiopia were found to be colonized through a single dispersal event at 1.3–0.7 Mya; the distribution of C. macmillani might be explained by a secondary re-colonization of Ethiopia. Collectively, the nuclear and mitochondrial data revealed a low divergence between morphologically distinct and elevationally parapatric C. thalia and C. glassi, thereby aligning with the gradient model of speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the viromes and immune systems of bats and rodents have been extensively studied, comprehensive data are lacking for insectivores (order Eulipotyphla) despite their wide geographic distribution. Anthropogenic land use and outdoor recreational activities, as well as changes in the range of shrews, may lead to an expansion of the human-shrew interface with the risk of spillover infections, as reported for Borna disease virus 1. We investigated the virome of 45 individuals of 4 white-toothed shrew species present in Europe, using metagenomic RNA sequencing of tissue and intestine pools. Moderate to high abundances of sequences related to the families Paramyxoviridae , Nairoviridae , Hepeviridae and Bornaviridae were detected. Whole genomes were determined for novel orthoparamyxoviruses ( n =3), orthonairoviruses ( n =2) and an orthohepevirus. The novel paramyxovirus, tentatively named Hasua virus, was phylogenetically related to the zoonotic Langya virus and Mòjiāng virus. The novel orthonairoviruses, along with the potentially zoonotic Erve virus, fall within the shrew-borne Thiafora virus genogroup. The highest viral RNA loads of orthoparamyxoviruses were detected in the kidneys, in well-perfused organs for orthonairoviruses and in the liver and intestine for orthohepevirus, indicating potential transmission routes. Notably, several shrews were found to be coinfected with viruses from different families. Our study highlights the virus diversity present in shrews, not only in biodiversity-rich regions but also in areas influenced by human activity. This study warrants further research to characterize and assess the clinical implications and risk of these viruses and the importance of shrews as reservoirs in European ecosystems.

We discovered a new Crocidura species of shrew (Soricidae: Eulipotyphla) from Narcondam Island, India by using both morphological and molecular approaches. The new species, Crocidura narcondamica sp. nov. is of medium size (head and body lengths) and has a distinct external morphology (darker grey dense fur with a thick, darker tail) and craniodental characters (braincase is rounded and elevated with weak lambdoidal ridges) in comparison to other close congeners. This is the first discovery of a shrew from this volcanic island and increases the total number of Crocidura species catalogued in the Indian checklist of mammals to 12. The newly discovered species shows substantial genetic distances (12.02% to 16.61%) to other Crocidura species known from the Indian mainland, the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, Myanmar, and from Sumatra. Both Maximum-Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic inferences, based on mitochondrial (cytochrome b) gene sequences showed distinct clustering of all included soricid species and exhibit congruence with the previous evolutionary hypothesis on this mammalian group. The present phylogenetic analyses also furnished the evolutionary placement of the newly discovered species within the genus Crocidura. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to mainly opportunistic hunting behaviour of Barn owl can be its diet composition used for assessing local structure of small-mammal community. We evaluated the structure of small-mammal communities in the Mediterranean region by analysing Barn owl diet using own pellets and literature data (85 localities comprising 182,343 prey individuals). Contrary to widely accepted macroecological theory, we found a latitudinal increase of small-mammal alpha diversity, a less distinct west–east increase and lower diversity on islands. The mean prey weight decreased with increasing latitude, while on islands it decreased with increasing island area. The mean prey weight on islands was further negatively affected by mean land modification by human and positively affected by its range. The diet diversity on islands was not affected either by island area or its distance from the mainland. Its composition largely conformed to the main pattern pronounced over whole the region: an unexpected homogeneity of small-mammal community structure. Despite high beta diversity and large between-sample variation in species composition, Crocidura (+ Suncus etruscus) and murids (Apodemus, Mus, Rattus, in marginal regions partly replaced by gerbillids, Meriones or Microtus) composed more than 90% of owl prey in 92% of samples. Peak abundances of these widespread species are associated with a dynamic mosaic of dense patches of sparse herb vegetation and evergreen sclerophyllous shrublands interspersing areas of human activity, the dominant habitat of the inner Mediterranean and richest food resource for foraging Barn owls. The respective small-mammal species can be looked upon as invasive elements accompanying large scale human colonization of the region since the Neolithic and replacing original island biota. Our study documented that desertification of the Mediterranean played an important role in shaping inverse latitudinal gradient in diversity of small-mammals that contradicts to widely accepted mecroecological theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of shrew species in Israel has been and still is the subject of debate. In this work we used for the first time a molecular marker, the cytochrome b gene, to investigate the number and identity of shrew species in Israel. Our molecular results confirmed the presence of four species: Crocidura leucodon, Crocidura suaveolens gueldenstaedtii, Crocidura ramona, and Suncus etruscus. The C. ramona sequences were found to differ from all other Crocidura species sequenced to date, supporting its status as a distinct species. Whether it is conspecific with Crocidura portali (described in 1920 from Israel and usually synonymized with C. suaveolens), will require additional study. The sequences of Israeli C. suaveolens were found to be very similar to those of Iran, Turkey, and Georgia (i.e., C. suaveolens gueldenstaedtii), in agreement with previous studies. The Israeli C. leucodon sequences, however, formed a distinct clade among C. leucodon. Finally, the S. etruscus sequences clustered with sequences from France, Italy, and Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific competition affects population dynamics, distributional ranges, and evolution of competing species. The competitive exclusion principle states that ecologically similar species cannot coexist unless they exhibit niche segregation. Herein, we assess whether niche segregation allows the coexistence of Crocidura russula and C. suaveolens in southwestern Iberia and whether segregation is the result of current (ecological effect) or past (evolutionary effect) competition. We performed an annual live-trapping cycle in the two main habitats of the Odiel Marshes Natural Reserve (OMNR), the tidal marsh and the Mediterranean forest, both in syntopic (i.e., where both species co-occur) and allotopic (where only one of the two species occurs) sites within this Reserve. We modeled the presence–absence of each species in both habitats and sites by generalized linear mixed models. The coexistence of both species was favored by spatial and temporal niche segregation. Crocidura suaveolens was restricted to tidal marsh and did not occupy Mediterranean forest, even when C. russula was absent. We interpret this to be the result of competition in the past triggering an evolutionary response in C. suaveolens towards its specialization in tidal marsh. Moreover, the specialist C. suaveolens currently is outcompeting C. russula in tidal marshes, reversing the dominance pattern observed elsewhere. The degree of co-occurrence between both species in syntopic sites was low, as they showed inverse dynamics of seasonal abundances. Interspecific competition leading to habitat specialization favors the coexistence of these ecologically similar species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific competition affects population dynamics, distributional ranges, and evolution of competing species. The competitive exclusion principle states that ecologically similar species cannot coexist unless they exhibit niche segregation. Herein, we assess whether niche segregation allows the coexistence of Crocidura russula and C. suaveolens in southwestern Iberia and whether segregation is the result of current (ecological effect) or past (evolutionary effect) competition. We performed an annual live-trapping cycle in the two main habitats of the Odiel Marshes Natural Reserve (OMNR), the tidal marsh and the Mediterranean forest, both in syntopic (i.e., where both species co-occur) and allotopic (where only one of the two species occurs) sites within this Reserve. We modeled the presence–absence of each species in both habitats and sites by generalized linear mixed models. The coexistence of both species was favored by spatial and temporal niche segregation. Crocidura suaveolens was restricted to tidal marsh and did not occupy Mediterranean forest, even when C. russula was absent. We interpret this to be the result of competition in the past triggering an evolutionary response in C. suaveolens towards its specialization in tidal marsh. Moreover, the specialist C. suaveolens currently is outcompeting C. russula in tidal marshes, reversing the dominance pattern observed elsewhere. The degree of co-occurrence between both species in syntopic sites was low, as they showed inverse dynamics of seasonal abundances. Interspecific competition leading to habitat specialization favors the coexistence of these ecologically similar species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of Crocidura (Soricidae) from Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, documenting its novelty with both genetic and morphological characters. The new species is widespread on the island, with vouchered records from nine general localities distributed among five of the island's areas of endemism. Morphologically, the new species is readily distinguished from all other described Sulawesi Crocidura by its intermediate body size, gray pelage, and long, hairy tail. The new species was mainly captured in pitfalls placed in the ground, but we also obtained evidence that it readily climbs trees and may be scansorial in its locomotor habits. Populations of the new species sampled from across the island are closely related, separated by < 0.02 uncorrected mitochondrial p -distances. The new species is one member of an endemic radiation of shrews on Sulawesi now known to contain six valid species and several undescribed species, all within the genus Crocidura. Resolution of species limits and phylogenetic relationships in this radiation is hindered by habitat loss at type localities, historical designation of new species using very small sample sizes, and a lack of genetic data from type specimens. Kami mendeskripsikan spesies baru Crocidura (Soricidae) dari Pulau Sulawesi, Indonesia, sekaligus mendokumentasikan keunikan karakter secara genetik maupun morfologi dari spesies tersebut. Spesies baru ini tersebar luas di Pulau Sulawesi, diketahui berdasarkan spesimen yang berasal dari sembilan lokasi umum yang tersebar di lima kawasan endemik di pulau tersebut. Secara morfologi, spesies baru ini dapat dibedakan dari spesies Crocidura lainnya dari Sulawesi berdasarkan ukuran tubuh yang sedang, rambut tubuh berwarna abu-abu, dan ekor yang panjang dan berambut. Spesies baru ini sebagian besar diperoleh dari perangkap sumuran yang ditanam didalam tanah, selain itu kami juga mendapatkan bukti bahwa spesies ini mampu memanjat pohon dan kemungkinan memiliki perilaku sebagai pemanjat. Beberapa populasi spesies yang dikoleksi dari Sulawesi ini mempunyai kekerabatan yang dekat, hanya dipisahkan oleh jarak proporsi DNA mitokondria (tidak terkoreksi) sebesar < 0.02. Spesies baru ini merupakan salah satu anggota dari suatu kelompok radiasi endemik cecurut di Sulawesi yang sampai saat ini diketahui terdiri atas enam spesies yang valid, dan beberapa spesies yang belum dideskripsikan, semuanya termasuk didalam genus Crocidura. Kepastian dalam menetapkan batasan jarak antar spesies dan hubungan kekerabatan genetik dari radiasi kelompok cecurut di Sulawesi terkendala oleh kerusakan habitat pada lokasi spesimen tipe, sejarah penamaan spesies yang hanya berdasarkan sampel yang sedikit, dan keterbatasan data molekuler dari spesimen tipe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the Crocidura poensis species complex and to identify factors driving diversification within it. We tested whether: (a) there is a pattern of allopatric differentiation coincident with the location of hypothesized Pleistocene forest refugia, (b) sister taxa are separated by broad rivers, (c) sister taxa occupy adjacent but distinct habitat. Location: Sub‐Saharan African forests and adjacent savanna. Taxon: Shrews. Methods: Analyses were based on 247 specimens collected from across the distribution of the species complex. We reconstructed the phylogeny (Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods) and assessed historical biogeography of this taxonomic group using a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear markers. We mapped the genetic diversity and estimated the divergence times by a relaxed clock model. Informed by multilocus species delimitation methods, we discussed possible taxonomic implications. Results: This complex is composed of nine major genetic lineages (proposed species). The earliest split within this complex occurred after 2.0–2.4 Ma, which corresponds to a period of increased aridity and/or extreme environmental variability. Most other divergence events occurred after the Early‐Middle Pleistocene Transition (1.2–0.8 Ma). Divergent selection across ecological gradients could explain diversification within the West African lineage. In Central Africa, the observed phylogeographic pattern fits the Pleistocene refuge hypothesis and supports the existence of multiple small rather than a few large forest refugia during glacial maxima. Large rivers, like the Congo and Sanaga Rivers, are important barriers to gene flow for several lineages but probably were not the primary cause of differentiation. Main conclusions: Both geographic isolation in distinct forest refugia and divergent selection along ecological gradients could explain Pleistocene diversification within this complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocidura suaveolens is a rare, habitat-specialist species in the Gulf of Cádiz (southwestern Iberia), the southwesternmost limit of its distributional range. In this region, it is present only in six tidal marshes distributed in four isolated areas as a result of competitive exclusion by C. russula. These rear-edge populations of C. suaveolens could have a high conservation value because they are predicted to contain high and unique genetic diversity, given their isolation in climatic refugia through Quaternary climatic oscillation. Here, we performed a genetic characterization of these populations using 10 microsatellite loci as a first assessment of their conservation status and to guide their conservation and management. A total of six genetic clusters of C. suaveolens were identified, corresponding to the six marshes sampled. Levels of differentiation among them were correlated with geographic distance, except for the high differentiation of one site (Estero Domingo Rubio [EDR]) despite its close proximity to two other sites (Tinto and Odiel), probably as a consequence of recent anthropic isolation. However, moderate levels of local and high levels of regional genetic diversity were observed, making the Gulf of Cádiz a region with a great evolutionary potential to face future threats. The four isolated tidal marsh areas occupied by the species should be treated as management units. Crocidura suaveolens es una especie rara y especialista de hábitat en el Golfo de Cádiz (suroccidente de Iberia), el límite más suroccidental de su rango de distribución. En esta región, la especie está presente solo en seis marismas mareales distribuidas en cuatro áreas aisladas como resultado de exclusión competitiva por C. russula. Estas poblaciones en la retaguardia del rango de C. suaveolens podrían tener un alto valor de conservación porque se predice que contienen diversidad genética alta y única, derivada de su aislamiento en refugios glaciares durante las oscilaciones climáticas del Cuaternario. En el presente estudio realizamos una caracterización genética de estas poblaciones utilizando 10 loci microsatélites como una primera evaluación de su estado de conservación y para orientar su conservación y manejo. Se identificaron un total de seis grupos genéticos de C. suaveolens, correspondiente a las seis marismas muestreadas. Los niveles de diferenciación entre ellas estuvieron correlacionados con la distancia geográfica, excepto por la alta diferenciación de Estero Domingo Rubio a pesar de la gran proximidad a Tinto y Odiel, y probablemente como consecuencia de aislamiento antrópico reciente. Sin embargo, se observaron niveles moderados de diversidad local y altos niveles de diversidad genética regional, lo que convierte al Golfo de Cádiz en una región con un gran potencial evolutivo para afrontar futuras amenazas. Las cuatro áreas de marisma mareal aisladas ocupadas por la especie deberían tratarse como unidades de manejo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: In our manuscript, we report the first interspecific comparative study about the plasticity of the gut microbiota. We conducted a captivity experiment that exposed wild-captured mammals to a series of environmental challenges over 45 days. We characterized their gut microbial communities using genome-resolved metagenomics and modeled how the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional microbial dynamics varied across a series of disturbances in both species. Our results indicate that the intrinsic properties (e.g., diversity and functional redundancy) of microbial communities coupled with physiological attributes (e.g., thermal plasticity) of hosts shape the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional response of gut microbiomes to environmental stressors, which might influence their contribution to the acclimation and adaptation capacity of animal hosts., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The morphometric variability of the skull and the lower jaw of 6 species of shrews (Crocidura suaveolens s. l., C. leucodon, Neomys anomalus, N. fodiens, Sorex minutus, and S. araneus) from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Austria was analyzed. The results from the PCA and the unsupervised model-based clustering showed that morphological geographic intraspecific variation was clearly expressed in Crocidura suaveolens and C. leucodon, poorly pronounced in Neomys anomalus and N. fodiens, and almost missing in Sorex minutus and S. araneus. Our data provide a morphological confirmation of the recent molecular data, which indicate a division of both Crocidura species to western and eastern lineages. The geographical location of their boundaries was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic variation was characterized in 187 modern and archaeological specimens of the lesser white-toothed shrew ( Crocidura suaveolens ), obtained from both insular and continental European locations. Geometric morphometric methods were used to quantify variation in size and shape of the mandible. The phenotypic distance between populations, and the influence of several eco-geographical factors on the size and shape of the mandible in island populations, were assessed. Based on mandible shape divergence, the populations of C. suaveolens were clustered into continental, insular Atlantic and insular Mediterranean groups. Archaeological specimens from Molène Island, more than 3400 years old, display a mandible shape signal closer to that of the continental population than those of modern island populations. Conversely, the continental shape signals of the modern populations from Höedic and Sark suggest that these are relatively recent anthropogenic introductions. The populations of C. suaveolens from both the Atlantic and Mediterranean islands (except for Rouzic and Cyprus) show a significant increase in mandible size, compared to those from continental Europe. Significant phenotypic differences support the indigenous condition of C. suaveolens on most of the Atlantic islands, suggesting that the species arrived there before the separation of the Scilly Isles and Ushant from the continent due to the post-glacial rise in sea level. This provides an ante quem for its colonization of the north-western fringe of continental Europe, notwithstanding its absence from the region in the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2007 survey of small mammals on Mt. Mantalingahan (2,086 m elevation), southern Palawan Island, Philippines, obtained specimens of a distinctive, previously unknown shrew (Soricidae). We describe these specimens as representing a new, monotypic genus and species, Palawanosorex muscorum. The new species was common on Mt. Mantalingahan from 1,550 to 1,950 m (near the peak) but was not detected from 700 to 1,300 m elevation. The previously known native, syntopic shrew, Crocidura palawanensis, has a slender body, slender fore and hind feet, and a long, thin tail with a few long bristles. In contrast, the new species has a stout body, broad fore feet, long claws, and a short tail covered by short, dense fur but no bristles. The dental formula traditionally used would result in assignment of the new species to Suncus, but several distinctive external and cranial features are present, and phylogenetic analyses of thousands of ultraconserved elements suggest P. muscorum is sister to most other Crocidurinae, a clade represented throughout Southeast Asia but numerically dominated by African species. The new species is a distant relative of Suncus murinus (the type species of Suncus) and all other known Southeast Asian species, including the only other shrew known to occur on Palawan (Crocidura batakorum). A time-calibrated phylogenetic analysis estimates divergence between Palawanosorex and its closest known relatives at approximately 10 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their potential importance, biological processes such as competitive exclusion (CE) have been largely neglected in phylogeographical studies. Here, we analyse the role of glacial events and CE in the evolutionary history of the lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens, in Iberia based on cytochrome b sequences. All the Iberian samples grouped together with the rest of western European populations within the previously described clade IV. We identified three distinct evolutionary lineages within this major clade, two of them occurring exclusively in Iberia. Iberian lineage B extends throughout the northwest with a continuous distribution and moderate to high diversity values, whereas Iberian lineage C has a highly patchy distribution and is structured in four sublineages, all having low diversity values. No signs of demographic growth were detected for any of the lineages. The evolutionary history of C. suaveolens in Iberia supports the refugia-within-refugia scenario, but ecological studies in areas of sympatry, molecular and fossil datings, and contrasting patterns in the Italian Peninsula suggest that CE exerted by C. russula since its arrival in Iberia has been the main factor shaping the distribution, phylogeography and population genetics of lineage C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

dead individual of C. leucodon was found in the Lower Tatra Mts. (Central Slovakia, Western Carpathians). The site is situated in the westernmost part of the main ridge of this mountain range at the altitude of 1,150 m a. s. l. The prevaling habitat is a mountain meadow surrounded by spruce and beach--maple forests. In Central Europe, the species usually occurs in lowland and hilly areas, records above 600 m a. s. l. are very rare. The finding of C. leucodon in the mountain ridge at this extraordinary altitude is the highest documented occurrence of the species in the Western Carpathians and Central Europe as well. It is probably related to expansion of the species range in the recent decades and its spreading to higher altitudes, which is more common at the southern border of its distribution area. K [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogeographic research on endemic primates and amphibians inhabiting the Indonesian island of Sulawesi revealed the existence of seven areas of endemism (AoEs). Here, we use phylogenetic and population genetic analyses of one mitochondrial gene and 15 nuclear loci to assess geographic patterns of genetic partitioning in a shrew ( Crocidura elongata ) that is endemic to Sulawesi, but occurs across the island. We uncover substantial genetic diversity in this species both between and within AoEs, but we also identify close relationships between populations residing in different AoEs. One of the earliest divergences within C . elongata distinguishes a high-elevation clade from low-elevation clades. In addition, on one mountain, we observe three distinct genetic groups from low, middle, and high elevations, suggesting divergence along a single elevational gradient. In general, our results show that C. elongata , like several other Sulawesi endemic taxa, harbors extensive genetic diversity. This diversity is structured in part by known AoE boundaries, but also by elevational gradients and geographic isolation within AoEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new speciesCrocidurobia lukoschusisp. nov. (Acariformes: Myobiidae) fromCrocidura tanakaeKuroda, 1938 (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) in Vietnam is described. This new species differs from the close speciesCrocidurobia michaeli(Poppe, 1896) in females by setaee1ande2being narrow lanceolate, 17–24 long (vs. stick-like and maximum 10 long inC. michaeli); in males, by the genital shield situated immediately posterior to setal basesd1(vs. between levels of setal basesc1andd1), and by setaeps1being twice as long asg1andg2(vs. subequal tog1andg2). A key to species of this genus is provided.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:223CA059-F74C-47CC-8B1C-99CE69617398 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspects of morphological diagnostics of two white-toothed shrews Crocidura are analysed here. C. leucodon and C. suaveolens differ from each other in the main characteristics of external appearance, coloration and linear measurements. Extensive comparative material within the distribution ranges of both species shows that the body length (in mm) of C. leucodon is significantly greater than that of C. suaveolens: correspondingly, 71.2 ± 4.24 and 60.9 ± 5.9, t = 13.6; p < 0.0000. Also the foot length is significantly greater in C. leucodon (the same level of significance). Seven qualitative traits of skull and one trait of mandibles are diagnostic for both modern (collections and pellets) and fossil materials (99 % level of significance). The most informative charactersitics are the shape of zygomatic process, shape of occlusal surface of P4, position of incisive foramen in relation to the anterior margin of I2 and the shape of protuberance on the coronoid process of the mandible.