Svetlana V. Pavlova

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow · Laboratory of Population Ecology

The subgenus Stenocranius contains two cryptic species: Lasiopodomys gregalis (subdivided into three allopatrically distributed and genetically well-isolated lineages A, B, and C) and Lasiopodomys raddei. To identify karyotype characteristics of this poorly studied cryptic species complex, we used comparative cytogenetic analysis of 138 individuals...

Background The field vole, an abundant and widespread microtine rodent, is a complex comprising three cryptic species. The short-tailed field vole ( Microtus agrestis ) is present over much of Eurasia, the Mediterranean field vole ( Microtus lavernedii ) in southern Europe, and the Portuguese field vole ( Microtus rozianus ) is limited to western S...

Among 36 known chromosomal hybrid zones of the common shrew Sorex araneus, the Moscow-Seliger hybrid zone is of special interest because inter-racial complex heterozygotes (F 1 hybrids) produce the longest meiotic configuration, consisting of 11 chromosomes with monobrachial homology (undecavalent or chain-of-eleven: CXI). Different studies suggest...

Matveevsky S.N., Petrova T.V., Pavlova S.V., Kolomiets O.L. (2023). Meiotic telomeres of vole’s B chromosomes: shelterin and telomere-supporting proteins provide a link to the nuclear membrane. BMC Proceedings, 17(20), S1-O6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-023-00284-9

Hybrid zones are natural laboratories for studying speciation. In the common shrew Sorex araneus, the hybrid zone between extremely divergent in karyotypes the Moscow and Seliger chromosomal races is unique, because complex heterozygotes (interracial hybrids) form the longest meiotic configuration consisting of 11 chromosomes with monobrachial homo...

The subgenus Stenocranius includes two cryptic species, Lasiopodomys raddei and L. gregalis; the latter has three allopatric and genetically well-isolated lineages having unclear taxonomic rank. To determine possible karyotypic differences, 121 individuals from 37 localities (among them, 15 are previously unpublished sampling sites) were analysed....

According to literature data, the karyotype of narrow-headed voles is characterised by stable 2n=36, except populations from the Khangai Mountains (2n=36-40). In this work, we analysed karyotypic variation of Stenocranius voles from previously unexplored regions of South Siberia. Cytogenetic analysis showed rather high intraspecific karyotypic vari...

Social voles of the genus Microtus consist of at least eight nominal species occurring in the Western Palearctic. Despite the significant influence of Middle Eastern Geo-climatic heterogeneity on small mammal diversification, this area remains largely unexplored. In this study, we considered mitochondrial cytochrome b phylogeny and chromosomal data...

The spatial genetic structure is a topical issue in the studies of various aspects of ecology and evolution. Using the multilocus autocorrelation method with hypervariable microsatellite genetic markers, we investigated a fine‐scale pattern of genetic structure in five local populations of the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus 1758 separated by d...

Among seven species of the order Eulipotyphla (from southern Gansu and northern Sichuan Provinces, Central China) studied cytogenetically, karyotypes of one talpid species, Uropsilus aff. soricipes (2n = 36, NF a = 54), and three soricid species, Chodsigoa hypsibia (2n = 65, NF a = 66), Sorex cansulus (2n = 42, NF a = 64) and Sorex thibetanus (2n =...

In a 7-year capture-recapture analysis, we estimated effects of population density and weather conditions on the mortality rate in five neighbouring populations located in different habitats in Central Russia. Non-resident shrews had little chance of surviving to reproduction. The average lifespan of resident young shrews first seen in June, July a...

Among seven species of the order Eulipotyphla (from southern Gansu and northern Sichuan Provinces, Central China) studied cytogenetically, karyotypes of one talpid species, Uropsilus aff. soricipes (2n = 36, NF a = 54), and three soricid species, Chodsigoa hypsibia (2n = 65, NF a = 66), Sorex cansulus (2n = 42, NF a = 64) and Sorex thibetanus (2n =...

The genus status of Urocricetus was defined recently based on morphological and molecular data. Even though the amount of evidence for a separate phylogenetic position of this genus among Cricetinae continues to increase, there is still no consensus on its relationship to other groups. Here we give the first comprehensive description of the U. kame...

Variability of five microsatellite loci was studied in the common shrew S. araneus belonging to the Moscow chromosomal race. Three local samples (n = 39) from the sites situated at a minimum distance from each other (350–700 m) were examined. The studied samples were characterized by high allelic diversity along with considerable genetic differenti...

A range-wide phylogeographic study of the common shrew Sorex araneus was performed using the concatenation of cytb and ND2 mitochondrial genes. The data support two major lineages, one of which (European haplogroup) is distributed continuously from West Europe to West Siberia; the other (Siberian haplogroup) is found in two non-adjacent areas: in c...

The first genetic study of the holotype of the Gansu short-tailed shrew, Blarinella griselda Thomas, 1912, is presented. The mitochondrial analysis demonstrated that the type specimen of B. griselda is close to several recently collected specimens from southern Gansu, northern Sichuan and Shaanxi, which are highly distinct from the two species of A...

The karyotypic diversity of the common shrew was examined in a poorly studied area of northeastern European Russia between the estuary of the Pechora River and the North Ural Mountains. The karyotypes that belonged to the Serov chromosomal race were found at 500 km to the north from the previously known race range limit. In addition, three new homo...

Cambridge Core - Cell Biology and Developmental Biology - Shrews, Chromosomes and Speciation - edited by Jeremy B. Searle

In this review, we describe karyotypic, morphological, and genetic structuring of population in the common shrew Sorex araneus (Lipotyphla, Mammalia), and try to explain some unclear and contradictory aspects of this structuring on the basis of population approach. The subdivision of this species into more than 76 parapatric chromosomal races does...

Analysis of the frequencies of karyotypic variants in the hybrid zone between the Sok and Serov chromosomal races of the common shrew Sorex araneus revealed that the zone has a complex configuration. A large part of the contact zone is located in a monotonous mid taiga zone, where there are no significant barriers to limit dispersion of shrews. Ano...

Shrews, Chromosomes and Speciation - edited by Jeremy B. Searle February 2019

Shrews, Chromosomes and Speciation - edited by Jeremy B. Searle February 2019

Shrews, Chromosomes and Speciation - edited by Jeremy B. Searle February 2019

Gymnures are an ancient group of small insectivorous mammals and are characterized by a controversial taxonomic status and the lack of a description of karyotypes for certain species. In this study, conventional cytogenetic techniques (Giemsa, CBG- and GTG-banding, Ag-NOR), CMA 3 -DAPI staining, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with tel...

Karyotyping of the common shrews Sorex araneus from the poorly studied region of the Northwest of Russia revealed the belonging of individuals to two chromosomal races, Lemi and St. Petersburg. The Lemi race, previously known only from Finland, was discovered for the first time on the territory of Russia and thus replenished the list of S. araneus...

Karyotype studies of common shrews in the vicinity of Lake Baikal (Irkutsk Region, Eastern Siberia) resulted in the description of two new chromosomal races of Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758 (Lypotyphla, Mammalia), additional to 5 races formerly found in Siberia. In the karyotypes of 12 specimens from 3 locations, the polymorphism of metacentric and...

Citation: Matveevsky SN, Pavlova SV, Atsaeva MM, Searle JB, Kolomiets OL (2017) Dual mechanism of chromatin remodeling in the common shrew sex trivalent (XY 1 Y 2). Comparative Cytogenetics 11(4) 727-745. https://doi. Abstract Here we focus on the XY 1 Y 2 condition in male common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758, applying electron microscopy and...

It has long been hypothesized that chromosomal rearrangements play a central role in different evolutionary processes, particularly in speciation and adaptation. Interchromosomal rearrangements have been extensively mapped using chromosome painting. However, intrachromosomal rearrangements have only been described using molecular cytogenetics in a...

Contrasting chromosome location of nucleolar organizing regions (NORs), a poorly studied differentiating feature of two karyoforms of the 46-chromosome common voles, arvalis and obscurus, is demonstrated in the heterozygous karyotype of a natural hybrid from the arvalis/obscurus contact zone in European Russia. It was deduced from the karyotype ana...

The common shrew is subdivided into 74 chromosomal races, widely distributed in the postglacial area from the Britain Islands to Lake Baikal. Based on 1969 karyotypes from 216 localities, we present for the first time a map of ranges of 25 chromosomal races (except the Altai race) currently known in Russia. We revealed two centers of high karyotypi...

This review summarizes the available data on multilevel differentiation in the araneus species group of the genus Sorex (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia). Communication 1 gives basic information about the biology and morphological and karyotypic differentiation of some species belonging to this genus, as well as about the subdivision of one of the species,...

A possible cytogenetic analogy to genomic «speciation islands» as revealed by chromosome study... Chromosome analysis in mammals over the last half century has largely focused on species identification. A growing number of hybrid zones of karyotypically differentiated cryptic taxa have been described. A good example is provided by two karyoforms of...

The review summarizes the available data on the problem of multi-level differentiation in the species group "araneus" of the genus Sorex (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia). The first report presents the basic information on the biology, morphological and karyotypic differentiation of some species of this genus, as well as the remarkable subdivision of one sp...

This review summarizes available data on the problem of taxonomic and evolutionary differentiation in the “araneus” groups of species of the genus Sorex (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia). Report 2 describes the hierarchical structuring, population system, and interracial hybrid zones in the common shrew (Sorex araneus).

With no use of genetic techniques in modern studies, essential information on the intraspecific geographical, ecological and taxonomic structure of species may well be lost. Of the mammals of the domestic fauna, the common shrew (Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758) is characterized by an incredible level of its karyotype variability and inter- and intrap...

New data about the distribution of several chromosomal races (Moscow, Mologa, Poyakonda, and Serov) were obtained by using cytogenetic analysis of the common shrew (Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758) karyotypes from 14 new localities in European Russia. In particular, it is demonstrated that a part of the Moscow race area is separated from the main one...

Karyotypes of the Petchora and Kirillov chromosomal races of the common shrew differ by six Robertsonian metacentrics with monobrachial homology, such that interracial F-1 hybrids produce a ring-of-six configuration at meiosis I and are expected to suffer infertility. Mapping of 52 karyotyped individuals by using a unique global positioning system...

Three karyotypic variants were revealed in the Moscow-Neroosa chromosomal hybrid zone by comparative cytogenetic analysis: homozygotes of the pure parental races and complex heterozygotes (F1 hybrids). As expected, a ring-of-four configuration (RIV) was observed in diakinesis spreads of hybrids. No disturbances in the structure of the RIV were foun...

Molecular markers of cryptic cytogenetical differentiation were shown in chromosomal polymorphic Pan-European model group of rodents Microtus arvalis s. l. by FISH analysis. The polytypy of 46-chromosomes karyotypes determined by the sites of interstitial telomeric sequences (ITS) and ribosomal DNA emphasizes the genetical isolation of M. arvalis s...

Sorex araneus, the Common shrew, is a species with more than 70 karyotypic races, many of which form parapatric hybrid zones, making it a model for studying chromosomal speciation. Hybrids between races have reduced fitness, but microsatellite markers have demonstrated considerable gene flow between them, calling into question whether the chromosom...

Detailed information about the localities sampled for this study. (DOC)

Landmark descriptions. (DOC)

The common shrew is a major evolutionary model for understanding the factors that lead to chromosomal subdivision; it is one of the most chromosomally variable species. We karyotyped 106 common shrews (Sorex araneus) from 24 localities in north-eastern European Russia which we showed to belong to five chromosomal races: Kirillov, Manturovo, Petchor...

Immunocytochemical and electron microscopic analysis of synaptonemal complexes (SCs) was carried out for the first time in homozygotes and complex Robertsonian heterozygotes (hybrids) of the common shrew, Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758, from a newly discovered hybrid zone between the Moscow and the Neroosa chromosomal races. These races differ in fou...

The analysis of biotic diversity using pictographs has shown various changes after long-term deforestation and under short-term disturbance of forest habitats. The biomass of small mammals was similar in all types of forest habitats; it was higher in meadows and dropped in the young (9-year) forest in the former field. The total biomass of settled...

Common shrews of four chromosomal races (Manturovo, Sok, Serov, Pechora) from 10 localities of the European North of Russia were studied. 612 sculls were analyzed; 27 measurements for each were made. Mor phological differences were estimated using a complex of scull characters; the data were processed using the discriminant and cluster analyses. Ma...

We report a new finding of the 54-chromosome sibling species of the common vole in East Siberia - the first description from Olkhon Island (Lake Baikal). The karyotype of a male specimen revealed by routine staining and C-banding demonstrates the unambiguous presence of Microtus rossiaemeridionalis Ognev, 1924 (recently often regarded as as junior...

The Moscow and Seliger chromosomal races of the common shrew differ by Robertsonian fusions and possibly whole-arm reciprocal translocations (WARTs) such that their F₁ hybrids produce a chain-of-eleven configuration at meiosis I and are expected to suffer substantial infertility. Of numerous hybrid zones that have been described in the common shrew...

Variability of the cranial properties of chromosomal races Serov, Manturovo and Petchora of the common shrew were studied. A consistent increase of scull size in the Serov race with moving from the plain to highlands and a skull size decrease from low to high latitudes was detected. Interpopulation variability among different races was shown to be...

Variability of the cranial properties of chromosomal races Serov, Manturovo and Pechora of the common shrew were studied. A consistent increase of scull size in the Serov race with moving from the plain to highlands and a skull size decrease from low to high latitudes was detected. Interpopulation variability among different races was shown to be c...

The authors analyze the data of a 12-year monitoring of small mammal populations with live-catch cage traps, snap traps, and pitfall traps. Eighteen species were trapped. Biotopical distributions of the species are outlined. The study shows that snap-trapping and pitfall-trapping results are not in complete agreement. Capture-mark-recapture live-tr...

Karyotypes uncharacteristic of pure races or hybrids were identified in the interracial hybrid zones of the common shrew Sorex araneus L. that were recently discovered in the European part of Russia. This suggests the actual existence in natural populations of WART-like rearrangements (whole-arm reciprocal translocations) along with Robertsonian fu...

A unique arm chromosome combination detected in the common shrew karyotype from a Karelian locality within the Arctic Circle (Kandalaksha State Nature Reserve, European Russia) is interpreted as a new chromosome race -Poyakonda. According to the standard nomenclature of G-banded chromosomes of Sorex araneus the karyotype contains the species specif...

Since the first description of sympatric sibling species and allopatric chromosomal forms of the common vole (Microtus arvalis group) in 1969, the search of their range boundaries has been continually going on up to the present time. Based on the cytogenetic material presented in the present study, the geographical distribution of two karyoforms (2...

Karyotypes uncharacteristic of pure races or hybrids were identified in the interracial hybrid zones of the common shrew Sorex araneus L. that were recently discovered in the European part of Russia. This suggests the actual existence in natural populations of WART-like rearrangements (whole-arm reciprocal translocations) along with Robertsonian fu...

For many decades karyotype was the only source of overall genomic information obtained from species of mammal. However, approaches have been developed in recent years to obtain molecular and ultimately genomic information directly from the extracted DNA of an organism. Molecular data have accumulated hugely for mammalian taxa. The growing volume of...

A review of the published data on biology of chromosome races of common shrew is presented. General aspects of the known hybrid zones are discussed. The morphological and molecular variability within and among various races is considered. The origin and the modern distribution of chromosome races cannot be completely explained by any existing hypot...

Combination of different dispersal modes may itself, without external obstacles, lead to the appearance of subdivided populations and maintain the existence of independent population systems. The common shrew, a mammal convenient for studying different levels of intraspecific differentiation, was the object of the study. Empirical data have been us...

Among common shrews from the hybrid zone between the Moscow and Seliger chromosomal races, we found an adult male characterised by two metacentrics not found in either race (hm, nq). These metacentrics apparently arose by a whole-arm reciprocal translocation (WART) of two of the Seliger metacentrics (hn, mq). Although such rearrangements have been...

The use of the space by individually marked shrews that were caught by live-traps and pitfalls in the same area was considered. Social interactions were tested in pairing in a neutral territory. The distribution of the animals' activity was found to be normal for residents (using live-traps). The removal of an individual to a distance equal to thre...

New information is presented on the distributional ranges of the West Dvina, Moscow, Neroosa, Serov, Sok and Yuryuzan chromosome races in European Russia. Our study provides chromosome data on 67 common shrews from 28 localities in various parts of the East European Plain and foothills of the Ural Mountains. No new chromosome races were discovered...

Two chromosome races of common shrew, Moscow and Seliger, differ in the arm combination in 11 diagnostic chromosomes (Robertsonian metacentrics/acrocentrics). Homozygotes of both pure races, simple Robertsonian heterozygotes of Seliger race, and complex heterozygotes (F1 hybrids) were detected in the found earlier hybrid zone of these races, in the...

Chromosome data on the distributional limits of Microtus voles (M. subterraneus, M. arvalis) in the very east of Europe are presented. Wide border space reported formerly between the two subterraneus cytotypes (2n=54, 2n=52) as well as between the common vole cytotypes (arvalis and obscurus, both 2n=46) have been narrowed with the study progress, e...