Open AccessMorphometrical Characteristics of the Common Shrews ( Sorex Araneus L.) from Interracial Hybrid Zones
Author(s) -
Chȩtnicki Włodzimierz,
Fedyk Stanisław,
Banaszek Agata,
Szałaj Katarzyna A.,
Ratkiewicz Mirosław
Publication year - 1996
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.1601-5223.1996.00201.x
Subject(s) - sorex , biology , hybrid , hybrid zone , araneus , race (biology) , zoology , insectivora , morphology (biology) , population , shrew , demography , genetics , botany , gene , gene flow , genetic variation , sociology
Common shrews are subdivided into numerous chromosome races which make contact and form hybrid zones. To date, no strong differences in morphology have been found between hybrid and pure race individuals from the vicinity of such hybrid zones. To investigate this further, we carried out studies in Poland on three hybrid zones between races belonging to the West and East European Karyotypic Groups using material collected from 1989 to 1994. Shrews were measured (head and body, tail and hindfoot length) and weighed. Statistically significant differences in morphology were only observed in the Stobnica/Legucki Mlyn hybrid zone. The results indicated that both adult and immature animals belonging to the Stobnica race were smaller than those belonging to the Legucki Miyn race. The hybrids were longer than individuals of pure race karyotype but the mean body mass of the hybrids was the lowest. At the population level, the size of the shrews varied with value of a hybrid index. The absence of similar results for the Drużnol/Łȩgucki Mtyn and Drnholec/Bialowieza hybrid zones may reflect their narrowness compared with the Stobnica/Łȩgucki Mlyn zone.