Molecular Phylogeny Supports Repeated Adaptation to Burrowing within Small-Eared Shrews Genus of Cryptotis (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae)

PLoS One. 2015 Oct 21;10(10):e0140280. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140280. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Small-eared shrews of the New World genus Cryptotis (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) comprise at least 42 species that traditionally have been partitioned among four or more species groups based on morphological characters. The Cryptotis mexicana species group is of particular interest, because its member species inhibit a subtly graded series of forelimb adaptations that appear to correspond to locomotory behaviors that range from more ambulatory to more fossorial. Unfortunately, the evolutionary relationships both among species in the C. mexicana group and among the species groups remain unclear. To better understand the phylogeny of this group of shrews, we sequenced two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes. To help interpret the pattern and direction of morphological changes, we also generated a matrix of morphological characters focused on the evolutionarily plastic humerus. We found significant discordant between the resulting molecular and morphological trees, suggesting considerable convergence in the evolution of the humerus. Our results indicate that adaptations for increased burrowing ability evolved repeatedly within the genus Cryptotis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological / genetics*
  • Animals
  • Apolipoproteins B / genetics
  • BRCA1 Protein / genetics
  • Cell Nucleus / genetics
  • Cytochromes b / genetics
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / chemistry
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Genetic Variation
  • Humerus / anatomy & histology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Shrews / anatomy & histology
  • Shrews / classification
  • Shrews / genetics*
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Apolipoproteins B
  • BRCA1 Protein
  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Cytochromes b

Associated data

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Grants and funding

NHRE program at the Smithsonian Institution provided funding internships and supplies to SB, MR, SS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.