Crocidura suaveolens subsp. gueldenstaedtii

4.3 Crocidura suaveolens gueldenstaedtii The phylogenetic analysis indicated that all Israeli “ C. suaveolens ” sequences are part of clade V – the ‘ gueldenstaedtii ’ clade (Dubey et al. 2007a), and close to the Turkish and Georgian sequences (Figure 5). While the Israeli populations represent the edge of this species complex range, they do not present a mitochondrial genetic difference from the rest of its clade, unlike the situation in C. leucodon. This may be due to their larger population size and wider range in Israel compared to that of C. leucodon (Figure 1B). However, it is also possible that genetic differences exist in the nuclear genome. Based on the high similarity between the Israeli and Balkan sequences we agree with the status of “least concern” listed by the IUCN (Palomo et al. 2016). Our molecular cyt b data unequivocally place Israeli ‘suaveolens’ specimens within the ‘ gueldenstaedtii’ clade. The specific status of the form awaits a thorough taxonomic revision, including an examination of animals from the type localities, preferably alongside specimens from the type localities of other members of the complex (e.g., C. ‘gmelini’, C. suaveolens monacha, C. portali) as well as phylogenetic information from nuclear markers. Until such a study is carried out, we tentatively refer to Israeli specimens as members of C. suaveolens gueldenstaedtii.
Published as part of Shpirer, Erez, Haddas-Sasson, Michal, Spivak-Glater, Maya, Feldstein, Tamar, Meiri, Shai & Huchon, Dorothée, 2021, Molecular relationships of the Israeli shrews (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) based on cytochrome b sequences, pp. 79-89 in Mammalia (Warsaw, Poland) (Warsaw, Poland) 85 (1) on page 86, DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2019-0143, http://zenodo.org/record/7837749
{"references":["Dubey, S., Cosson, J. F., Magnanou, E., Vohralik, V., Benda, P., Frynta, D., Hutterer, R., Vogel, V., and Vogel, P. (2007 a). Mediterranean populations of the lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura suaveolens group): an unexpected puzzle of Pleistocene survivors and prehistoric introductions. Mol. Ecol. 16: 3438 - 3452.","Palomo, L., KryStufek, B., Amori, G., and Hutterer, R. (2016). Crocidura suaveolens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016."]}