Informace o publikaci
UCE phylogenomics resolves complex relationships within the Crocidura mu-ricauda species complex (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)
| Autoři | |
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| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Konferenční abstrakty |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| Popis | The genus Crocidura, the most speciose among mammals, comprises 109 described sub-Saharan species, making it a cornerstone for understanding Afrotropical biodi-versity. However, species-level identification is often hindered by significant morpho-logical similarity, necessitating the use of genetic tools. Despite a growing body of molecular data, phylogenetic relationships within Crocidura remain incompletely re-solved, particularly when relying on traditional mitochondrial markers such as cyto-chrome b (cytB). In this contribution, we present a robust phylogeny based on Ultra-Conserved Elements (UCEs) sequenced across the genomes of 183 crocidurine shrew specimens. This approach yielded highly supported topology, particularly clari-fying relationships within the C. muricauda species complex. This group, containing two valid species (C. muricauda and C. douceti), is distributed across West African forests. Prior analyses of about 400 cytB sequences suggested additional cryptic lineages but failed to resolve interspecific relationships due to limited phylogenetic signal. To address these challenges, we sequenced UCEs from 23 specimens repre-senting the majority of cytB lineages. Our analyses revealed a well-supported phy-logeny, with C. douceti in basal position to all C. muricauda lineages. Furthermore, multiple distinct lineages within C. muricauda exhibited sympatric distributions. These findings suggest substantial cryptic diversification within C. muricauda, underscoring the potential for the recognition of additional species pending integrative taxonomic revision incorporating morphological data. Our study highlights the power of UCE-based approaches in resolving phylogenetic uncertainties and contributes to a deep-er understanding of the evolutionary history, biodiversity, and conservation needs of these understudied African shrews. |