Western North Pacific gray whales (WGWs), once considered extinct, are critically endangered with unknown migratory routes and reproductive areas. We attached satellite-monitored tags to seven WGWs on their primary feeding ground off Sakhalin Island, Russia, three of which subsequently migrated to regions occupied by non-endangered eastern gray whales (EGWs). A female with the longest-lasting tag visited all three major EGW reproductive areas off Baja California, Mexico, before returning to Sakhalin Island the following spring. Her 22 511 km round-trip is the longest documented mammal migration and strongly suggests that some presumed WGWs are actually EGWs foraging in areas historically attributed to WGWs. The observed migration routes provide evidence of navigational skills across open water that break the nearshore north-south migratory paradigm of EGWs. Despite evidence of genetic differentiation, these tagging data indicate that the population identity of whales off Sakhalin Island needs further evaluation.

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We explored the patterning of genetic diversity within white-toothed shrews of the genus Crocidura from 14 localities across Vietnam. An analysis of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (cytb) gene fragments from 185 specimens of white-toothed shrews of the genus Crocidura from 14 localities across Vietnam revealed six deeply divergent (p-distance for both COI and cytb >10%) lineages, corresponding to the morphological species C. sokolovi, C. zaitsevi, C. phuquocensis, С . indochinensis, C. tanakae and, C. phanluongi. Crocidura sokolovi was distinct from all other Vietnamese white-toothed shrews (~13% on average for both cytb and COI). In addition to demonstrating the genetic separation of previously described species, substantial cryptic genetic diversity was revealed. Crocidura zaitsevi and C. tanakae each included two subgroups that corresponded to geographically remote localities, while C. indochinensis contained two distinct subgroups that exhibited co-varying patterns of morphological and ecological differentiation, suggesting that the individuals from Sa Pa represent a separate species (provisionally named Crocidura sp. AB1). Mitochondrial data generated for the type specimens of C. phanluongi from Yok Don and Bu Gia Map supported the validity of the species while an additional specimen from Binh Chau, South Vietnam originally referred to C. phanluongi exhibited a deep genetic split (cytb: 8.4%; COI: 8.7%) from a neighbouring population in Yok Don. We propose that the specimen from Binh Chau also represents an undescribed species (provisionally named Crocidura sp. AB2). Our cytb data were then compared to the sequences of 28 species of Crocidura from Southeast Asia available in GenBank, suggesting that three more species occur in northern Vietnam, namely C. wuchihensis, C. attenuata and C. fuliginosa/C. dracula. The discovery of fairly deep genetic divergences among Vietnamese Crocidura illustrates that the understudied and largely undescribed diversity of white-toothed shrews in Southeast Asia requires deeper scrutiny. It also shows the useful insights of mitochondrial markers as to the taxonomic resolution of this enigmatic group of mammals.

The subfamilies Erinaceinae and Galericinae of the extant family Erinaceidae are the only living representatives of the once diverse taxon Erinaceomorpha. In the present study, we performed the first multilocus analysis of phylogenetic relationships among genera of Erinaceidae and estimated the split times between and within the two subfamilies. The analyses of five nuclear and two mitochondrial genes produced a well-resolved molecular phylogeny. Generally, the molecular tree is compatible with the morphology-based taxonomy proposed by Frost, Wozencraft & Hoffmann with the exception of the position of Mesechinus, which is placed as the closest sister taxon of Hemiechinus. Another point of contradiction between molecular and morphological phylogenies is the position of Hylomys megalotis, which was consistently placed as the most basal branch among all gymnures in molecular analyses. Genetic relationships between Erinaceus and Atelerix remain unclear, suggesting a hard trichotomy among these two lineages and Hemiechinus + Paraechinus. Molecular dating suggests an ancient origin of the extant gymnure lineages, which date back to the late Eocene to early Oligocene. The age of the basal split within spiny hedgehogs is relatively recent and corresponds to the Miocene-Pliocene boundary. Possible changes to the erinaceid taxonomy are considered.

The order of Carnivora has been very well characterized with over 50 species analyzed by chromosome painting and with painting probe sets made for 9 Carnivora species. Representatives of almost all families have been studied with few exceptions (Otariidae, Odobenidae, Nandiniidae, Prionodontidae). The patterns of chromosome evolution in Carnivora are discussed here. Overall, many Carnivora species retained karyotypes that only slightly differ from the ancestral carnivore karyotype. However, there are at least 3 families in which the ancestral carnivore karyotype has been severely rearranged – Canidae, Ursidae and Mephitidae. Here we report chromosome painting of yet another Carnivora species with a highly rearranged karyotype, Genetta pardina. Recurrent rearrangements make it difficult to define the ancestral chromosomal arrangement in several instances. Only 2 species of pangolins (Pholidota), a sister order of Carnivora, have been studied by chromosome painting. Future use of whole-genome sequencing data is discussed in the context of solving the questions that are beyond resolution of conventional banding techniques and chromosome painting.