Koh H.S., Kartavtseva I.V., Lee B.K., Kweon G.H., Yang B.G., Heo S.W., In S.T. 2013. A preliminary study on genetic divergence of the Asian lesser white-toothed shrew Crocidura shantungensis (Mammalia: Soricomorpha) in mainland Korea, adjacent islands and continental East Asia: cytochrome b sequence analysis // Russian J. Theriol. Vol.12. No.2: 71–77 [in English].
Hung Sun Koh [syskoss@chungbuk.ac.kr], Department of Biology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea;
Irina V. Kartavtseva [Irina-Kar-52@rambler.ru], Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690022, Russia;
Bae Keun Lee [waterdeer@empal.com], Species Restoration Technology Institute, Gurye 402-031, Korea;
Gu Hee Kweon [apodemus92@hotmail.com], Department of Biology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea;
Byeng Gug Yang [yangbg@korea.kr], National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 404-708, Korea;
Seon Wook Heo [obesus@hanmail.net], Department of Biology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea;
Seong Taek In [acts219@naver.com], Department of Biology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea.
KEY WORDS: Soricomorpha, Crocidura shantungensis, East Asia, Korea, phylogeography, DNA systematics, cytochrome b.
ABSTRACT. To examine genetic divergence of Crocidura shantungensis in mainland Korea, adjacent islands and continental East Asia, we obtained 17 complete cytochrome b sequences (1140 bp) from mainland Korea and Far Eastern Russia, and these sequences were compared to sequences of C. shantungensis, obtained from the GenBank. Jeju C. shantungensis was divergent from the mainland Korean population, with average genetic distance of 1.94%. Moreover, Tsushima C. shantungensis was distinct from the mainland Korean population, with average distance of 2.08%, but the latter was not divergent from other C. shantungensis in Taiwan and Ullung islands, Mongolia, southeastern Siberia, and Far Eastern Russia, indicating that three clades (Jeju, Tsushima, and Taiwan-Ullung-continental East Asia) are recognized within C. shantungensis. Our results do not support the current subspecies classification of C. shantungensis (i.e., C. s. quelpartis from Jeju and Taiwan and C. s. shantungensis from other distribution regions), and do support the former classification of Jeju population as C. s. quelpartis. Thus, we proposed further systematic analysis with additional specimens from East Asia to clarify the taxonomy and phylogeography in C. shantungensis.