Incongruences between morphology and molecular phylogeny provide an insight into the diversification of the Crocidura poensis species complex

VOET, Inessa, Christiane DENYS, Marc COLYN, Aude LALIS, Adam KONEČNÝ, Arnaud DELAPRE, Violaine NICOLAS-COLIN and Raphael CORNETTE. Incongruences between morphology and molecular phylogeny provide an insight into the diversification of the Crocidura poensis species complex. Scientific Reports. London: Nature Research, 2022, vol. 12, No 1, p. 1-12. ISSN 2045-2322. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12615-5.

Basic information

• Original name: Incongruences between morphology and molecular phylogeny provide an insight into the diversification of the Crocidura poensis species complex
• Authors: VOET, Inessa, Christiane DENYS, Marc COLYN, Aude LALIS, Adam KONEČNÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Arnaud DELAPRE, Violaine NICOLAS-COLIN (250 France) and Raphael CORNETTE.
• Edition: Scientific Reports, London, Nature Research, 2022, 2045-2322.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 10613 Zoology
• Country of publisher: Germany
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 4.600
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14310/22:00127697
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12615-5
• UT WoS: 000814836700010
• Keywords in English: BODY-SIZE; EVOLUTION; SIGNAL; COVARIATION; SHAPE; ALLOMETRY; MAMMALIA; ECOLOGY; SKULL
• Tags: rivok
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Untangling the factors of morphological evolution has long held a central role in the study of evolutionary biology. Extant speciose clades that have only recently diverged are ideal study subjects, as they allow the examination of rapid morphological variation in a phylogenetic context, providing insights into a clade’s evolution. Here, we focus on skull morphological variability in a widely distributed shrew species complex, the Crocidura poensis species complex. The relative effects of taxonomy, size, geography, climate and habitat on skull form were tested, as well as the presence of a phylogenetic signal. Taxonomy was the best predictor of skull size and shape, but surprisingly both size and shape exhibited no significant phylogenetic signal. This paper describes one of the few cases within a mammal clade where morphological evolution does not match the phylogeny. The second strongest predictor for shape variation was size, emphasizing that allometry can represent an easily accessed source of morphological variability within complexes of cryptic species. Taking into account species relatedness, habitat preferences, geographical distribution and differences in skull form, our results lean in favor of a parapatric speciation model within this complex of species, where divergence occurred along an ecological gradient, rather than a geographic barrier.