Open AccessGenetic differentiation in Sorex: Electrophoretic analysis of the karyotypic races of Sorex araneus in Sweden
Author(s) -
FRYKMAN INGRID,
SIMONSEN VIBEKE,
BENGTSSON BENGT OLLE
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1983.tb00900.x
Subject(s) - sorex , biology , araneus , locus (genetics) , allele , genetics , shrew , karyotype , zoology , chromosome , gene
The common shrew, Sorex araneus L., is in Sweden represented by animals of three karyotypic races. The chromosomal differences are due to Robertsonian changes and are not accompanied by any obvious morphological differences. Animals from six populations (two from each karyotypic race) were analyzed chromosomally and electrophoretically. A total number of 225 animals were used in the electrophoretic investigation. Of the 27 loci studied, 24 showed no or only little electrophoretic variation. Three loci were clearly polymorphic but showed no allele difference diagnostic for any of the karyotypic races. However, one of the alleles at the Mpi locus, with a frequency between 0.20 and 0.40 in the southern and central races, was not found in the northern race. At this locus, there was also a difference between the northern and the other two races for the most common allele. Comparison of this result with information from other chromosomally variable mammalian species shows that normally only small electrophoretic differences exist between karyotypic races belonging to the same species.