Phylogenetics of the genus Sorex with a focus on the taxonomic status of the long-tailed (Sorex dispar) and Gasp shrews (S. gaspensis)

Shafer, A. B. A. (2007). Phylogenetics of the genus Sorex with a focus on the taxonomic status of the long-tailed (Sorex dispar) and Gasp shrews (S. gaspensis). https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3033

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Title

Phylogenetics of the genus Sorex with a focus on the taxonomic status of the long-tailed (Sorex dispar) and Gasp shrews (S. gaspensis)

Author
Shafer, Aaron Boyd Andrew
Call Number

LE3 .A278 2007

Date

2007

Supervisor

Stewart, Don

Degree Grantor

Acadia University

Degree Name

Master of Science

Degree Level

Masters

Discipline

Biology

Affiliation

Biology

Abstract

The long-tailed shrew ('Sorex dispar') and Gasp shrew ('S. gaspensis') are among the rarest and least studied mammals in North America. Recent mitochondrial and morphological data has suggested that these two shrews are conspecifics. To fully resolve this debate, a combination of mitochondrial (cytochrome 'b' sequence) and nuclear markers (inter-SINE fingerprinting) were applied to specimens representative of the entire species range. However, since inter-SINE fingerprinting is a novel technique, the procedure was first optimized on a cross-section of ' Sorex' shrews representing the major species complexes in North America. Inter-SINE fingerprinting was found to be an effective marker for identifying recently diverged 'Sorex' species and phylogeographic clusters. Furthermore, when compared to the tree produced by cytochrome 'b' data alone, inter-SINE fingerprinting was able to detect an ancestral introgression between two species. To try to resolve the apparent 'star phylogeny' of North American 'Sorex', the cytochrome 'b' sequence and inter-SINE fingerprint data were combined and analyzed under a Bayesian framework. This analysis supported previously undetected deep root structuring within the genus. Now optimized, the technique and analysis of inter-SINE fingerprinting was applied to the taxonomic debate surrounding 'S. dispar' and 'S. gaspensis'. Both cytochrome 'b' sequence and inter-SINE fingerprinting support a single monophyletic group. We recommend recognizing these two taxa as conspecifics, with 'S. dispar' having nomenclatural priority. The historical biogeography and habitat associations of 'S. dispar', discerned from the data collected in this thesis are also discussed.

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Permanent Link

https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3033

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