ABSTRACT. The present distribution of common shrew chromosome races indicates that the region covered by the Late Valdai ice sheet was subsequently recolonised by populations from refugia near the glacial front. The similarity of chromosome races from Finland and the Urals can be considered convergent: identical karyotypes have been formed independently on the basis of metacentrics in common and the canalisation of karyotypes. Chromosome races that survived the glaciation in southern refugia (Kiev, Neroosa, Penza and Sok) did not contribute to the postglacial recolonisation of the region vacated by the ice sheet.
Despite the fact that the common shrew occurs abundantly throughout European Russia, almost nothing is known about the karyotypic variation of the species in this important part of its geographic range. We present G‐band karyotypic data on seven samples from well separated sites. The race first described by ANISKIN and LUKIANOVA (1989) from one site near Moscow was confirmed. This ‘Moscow’ race (XX/XYIY1Y2af, bc, gm, hn, j/l, kr, no, pq, tu) has a very extensive distribution in European Russia (over a longitudinal and latitudinal range of 34–45 °E and 51–58 °N, respectively). The fully metacentric (2na = 18) complement appears to be the norm for this race, although polymorphism for arm combination jl was detected at one site. It was also confirmed that the ‘Goldap race’ of NE Poland extends into the adjoining Russian territory of the Kaliningrad (Koenigsberg) region. A tentative new race (the ‘Mologa’: XX/XY Y1Y2, af, bc, gm, hn, i/o, jl, kr, p/q. tu) was found 300 km north of Moscow.
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