Phylogenetic position of Suncus fellowesgordoni with pigmy shrews from Madagascar and Southeast Asia inferred from cytochrome-b

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This study evaluates the taxonomic and phylogenetic position of S. fellowesgordoni with S. malayanus, S. etruscus and S. 'madagascariensis'. We reconfirm that S. fellowesgordoni is a distinct species, which constitutes the sister species to S. malayanus from Southeast Asia. The pairwise uncorrected genetic distance of 9.1–9.7% between the two species suggests a prolonged independent evolution of each and they may constitute relict species of formally widely distributed group of shrews from South Asia to Southeast Asia. Suncus etruscus from Sri Lanka and India fall as the sister taxon to S. 'madagascariensis', suggesting a recent introduction of S. etruscus from South Asia to Madagascar and their low genetic distance of 1.2–1.4%, confirm that the two populations constitute a single species. Suncus etruscus being a widely distributed species shows a substantial genetic divergence among populations. Individuals from Italy show a 7.3–7.5% genetic distance to those from South Asia and Madagascar, which can be explained by geographic distance. However, additional data from many other populations of S. etruscus is needed to evaluate the status of this species in extreme locations of its geographic range.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/cjsbs.v41i1.4541

Ceylon Journal of Science (Bio. Sci.) 41 (1): 83-87, 2012