First record of the Northern Ecuadorian Shrew, Cryptotis niausa Moreno Cárdenas & Albuja, 2014 (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae), in Colombia

Abstract

In Colombia, seven species of small-eared shrews of the genus Cryptotis Pomel, 1848 have been reported, and five of them endemic to the country. Here, we present the first confirmed record from Colombia of Cryptotis niausa Moreno Cárdenas & Albuja, 2014, a species that was previously known from only nine localities in Ecuador. The Colombian record comes from the Departamento de Nariño, in extreme southwestern Colombia, and it is supported by morphology and cytochrome-b gene evidence. This record increases to eight the number of species of Cryptotis from Colombia.

Two New Species of Small-Eared Shrews of the Genus Cryptotis Pomel, 1848, from the Colombian Andes (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)

“…Genetic analyses also have repeatedly confirmed monophyly of the C. parvus group (Guevara and Cervantes 2014; He et al 2015; Baird et al 2017), the C. nigrescens group (He et al 2015; Baird et al 2017), and the C. mexicanus group (Guevara and Cervantes 2014; Guevara et al 2014; He et al 2015; Baird et al 2017; Vázquez-Ponce et al 2021). In contrast, current genetic studies indicate the C. goldmani group and the C. thomasi group (Zeballos et al 2018; Mejía-Fontecha et al 2021; He et al 2021) may be polyphyletic. If confirmed, this would indicate the convergence of multiple lineages on the two postcranial morphologies and associated locomotor functions represented by these groups.…”

“…The monophyly of Cryptotis and its sister relationship with the short-tailed shrew genus Blarina Gray, 1838, are well established (Dubey et al 2007; Guevara and Cervantes 2014; He et al 2015, 2021; Mejía-Fontecha et al 2021). Genetic analyses also have repeatedly confirmed monophyly of the C. parvus group (Guevara and Cervantes 2014; He et al 2015; Baird et al 2017), the C. nigrescens group (He et al 2015; Baird et al 2017), and the C. mexicanus group (Guevara and Cervantes 2014; Guevara et al 2014; He et al 2015; Baird et al 2017; Vázquez-Ponce et al 2021).…”

Cryptotis nigrescens (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)

“…A variety of analyses using sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cyt b ) alone and combined with sequences from 16S rRNA, Apolipoprotein B [APOB], and breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1) indicate that Cryptotis nigrescens is sister to a group of species that includes C. lacondonensis , C. mayensis , and C. merriami (He et al 2015, 2021; Baird et al 2017; Mejía-Fontecha et al 2021). These studies appear to confirm the C. nigrescens group as a clade.…”

“…Analysis of cyt b and concatenated alignment of mitochondrial and nuclear genes indicated the C. nigrescens group is most closely related to a clade that includes Central American C. gracilis and South American Evaristo's small-eared shrew, C. evaristoi ; wandering small-eared shrew, C. montivagus ; Tama small-eared shrew, C. tamensis ; and Thomas's small-eared shrew, C. thomasi (He et al 2021; Mejía-Fontecha et al 2021).…”

“…Cryptotis nigrescens is monotypic; subspecies previously recognized as comprising C. nigrescens (e.g., C. n. mayensis , C. n. merriami —see Choate, 1970) are now recognized as separate species (Woodman and Timm 1993; Burgin 2018; Woodman 2018). Cryptotis nigrescens is a member of the C. nigrescens group, an informal morphological grouping (Choate 1970; Woodman 2018) and genetic clade (He et al 2015; Baird et al 2017; Mejía-Fontecha et al 2021) that includes the Eastern Cordillera small-eared shrew, C. brachyonyx Woodman, 2003; Colombian small-eared shrew, C. colombianus Woodman and Timm, 1993; Honduran small-eared shrew, C. hondurensis Woodman and Timm, 1992; Lacandona small-eared shrew, C. lacandonensis Guevara et al, 2014; Yucatan small-eared shrew, C. mayensis (Merriam, 1901); Merriam's small-eared shrew, C. merriami Choate, 1970; and Darién small-eared shrew, C. merus Goldman, 1912. The synonymies are adapted and updated from Woodman and Timm (1993) and Woodman (2018).…”