Abstract
A Robertsonian fusion polymorphism in the common shrew (Sorex araneus L.), first described in Academgorodok near Novosibirsk (western Siberia) in 1970–72, was re-examined in 1994–95. The polymorphism in the 1970s involved chromosome arm combinations go, jl, mp and qr, i.e. each of these combinations was present in both a metacentric and a twin-acrocentric state in the population at that time. The twin-acrocentric morph for go occurred at low frequency in 1970–72 and was not observed in 1994–95. The polymorphism for arm combinations jl, mp and qr was still observed in 1994–95 and there was no significant difference in metacentric/twin-acrocentric frequencies compared with the previous sample. This is the third well-documented example in which the chromosome polymorphism in the common shrew has been found to be unchanged over a period of 20+ years. Although the polymorphism for qr may be associated with a chromosomal hybrid zone with a cline centre 200 km away, there is no definitive explanation for the other polymorphisms.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Aniskin, V M, and Lukianova, I V. 1989. A new chromosome race and the analysis of a hybridization zone of two karyoforms of Sorex araneus (Insectivora, Soricidae). Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR, 309, 1260–1262. (in Russian).
Aniskin, V M, and Volobouev, V T. 1980. Chromosomal polymorphism in Siberian populations of the shrews of araneus-arcticus complex (Insectivora, Soricidae). I. Chaldeevo and Bericul's populations of common shrew Sorex araneus L. (1758). Genetika, 16, 1044–1051. (in Russian).
Aniskin, V M, and Volobouev, V T. 1981. Chromosomal polymorphism in Siberian populations of the shrews of araneus-arcticus complex (Insectivora, Soricidae). III. Three chromosome forms of common shrew Sorex araneus, L. (1758). Genetika, 17, 1784–1791. (in Russian).
Barton, N H, and Hewitt, G M. 1985. Analysis of hybrid zones. Ann Rev Ecol Syst, 16, 113–148.
Fedyk, S. 1980. Chromosome polymorphism in a population of Sorex araneus L. at Bialowieza. Folia Biol, 28, 83–120.
Fedyk, S. 1982. Further studies on chromosome polymorphism of the common shrew. Acta Theriol, 27, 149–153.
Ford, C E. 1966. The use of chromosome markers. In: Micklem, H. S. and Loutit, J. F. (eds) Tissue Grafting and Radiation, pp. 197–206. Academic Press, New York.
Ford, C E, and Hamerton, J L. 1970. Chromosome polymorphism in the common shrew, Sorex araneus. Symp Zool Soc Lond, 26, 223–236.
Ford, C E, Hamerton, J L, and Sharman, G B. 1957. Chromosome polymorphism in the common shrew. Nature, 180, 392–393.
Ford, P J, and Graham, C F. 1964. The chromosome number in the common shrew, Sorex araneus L. Bull Mammal Soc Br Is, 22, 10–11.
Hausser, J, (ed.) 1991. The Cytogenetics of the Sorex araneus Group and Related Topics. Proceedings of ISACC's Second International Meeting. Mém Soc Vaud Sci Nat, 19, 1–151.
Hausser, J, Fedyk, S, Fredga, K, Searle, J B, Volobouev, V T, Wójcik, J M, and Zima, J. 1994. Definition and nomenclature of the chromosome races of Sorex araneus. In: Zima, J., Searle, J. B. and Macholán, M. (eds) The Cytogenetics of the Sorex araneus Group and Related Topics, pp. 1–9. Proceedings of ISACC's Third International Meeting. Folia Zool, 43 (suppl. 1), 1–9.
Hsu, T C. 1979. Human and Mammalian Cytogenetics: an Historical Perspective. Springer-Verlag, New York.
King, M. 1993. Species Evolution: the Role of Chromosome Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Král, B, and Radjable, S I. 1974. Banding patterns and Robertsonian fusion in the Western Siberian population of Sorex araneus (Insectivora, Soricidae). Zool Listy, 23, 217–227.
Král, B, Aniskin, V M, and Volobouev, V T. 1981. Karyotype variability in Siberian populations of Sorex araneus (Insectivora, Soricidae). Folia Zool, 30, 23–37.
Pack, S D, Borodin, P M, Serov, O L, and Searle, J B. 1993. The X-autosome translocation in the common shrew (Sorex araneus L.): late replication in female somatic cells and pairing in male meiosis. Chromosoma, 102, 355–360.
Polyakov, A V, Borodin, P M, Lukácová, L, Searle, J B, and Zima, J. 1997. The hypothetical Old-Northern chromosome race of Sorex araneus found in the Ural Mis. Ann Zoo Fenn, (in press).
Seabright, M. 1971. A rapid banding technique for human chromosomes. Lancet, ii, 971–972.
Searle, J B. 1986. Factors responsible for a karyotypic polymorphism in the common shrew, Sorex araneus. Proc R Soc B, 229, 277–298.
Searle, J B. 1993. Chromosomal hybrid zones in eutherian mammals. In: Harrison, R. G. (ed.) Hybrid Zones and the Evolutionary Process, pp. 309–353. Oxford University Press, New York.
Searle, J B, Fedyk, S, Fredga, K, Hausser, J, and Volobouev, V T. 1991. Nomenclature for the chromosomes of the common shrew (Sorex araneus). Mém Soc Vaud Sci Nat, 19, 13–22.
Sharman, G B. 1956. Chromosomes of the common shrew. Nature, 177, 941–942.
Volobouev, V T. 1983. Les types du polymorphisme chromosomique et leur rôle evolutif chez les mammifères (Insectivora, Rodentia et Carnivora). Thesis, I'Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris.
Volobouev, V T. 1989. Phylogenetic relationships of the Sorex araneus-arcticus complex (Insectivora, Soricidae) based on high-resolution chromosome analysis. J Hered, 80, 284–290.
Wójcik, J M. 1991. Chromosomal polymorphism in the common shrew Sorex araneus and its adaptive significance. Mém Soc Vaud Sci Nat, 19, 51–62.
Wójcik, J M. 1993. Chromosome races of the common shrew Sorex araneus in Poland: a model of karyotype evolution. Acta Theriol, 38, 315–338.
Wójcik, J M, and Searle, J M. 1988. The chromosome complement of Sorex granarius -the ancestral karyotype of the common shrew [Sorex araneus)? Heredity, 61, 225–229.
Zima, J, Searle, J B, and Macholán, M, (eds.) 1994. The Cytogenetics of the Sorex araneus Group and Related Topics. Proceedings of ISACC's Third International Meeting. Folia Zool, 43 (suppl. 1), 116 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Polyakov, A., Chadova, N., Rodionova, M. et al. Novosibirsk revisited 24 years on: chromosome polymorphism in the Novosibirsk population of the common shrew Sorex araneus L.. Heredity 79, 172–177 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1997.140
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1997.140