Abstract
The results of allozymic, morphologic and morphometric studies performed on three parapatric shrews of the genusSorex from northern Italy are presented. These data clearly indicate: (1)Sorex samniticus is genetically well differentiated from S. araneus andS. arunchi, displaying a high mean value of genetic distance in comparison with the other two species (D=0.463). (2)S. araneus andS. arunchi display low values of genetic distance (D=0.007) and the latter shows lower levels of genetic variability. Altough no fixed allele difference was observed, an exclusive allele (Lap-2 96) is present inS. arunchi at low frequence, another one (Pgm-1 96) is rare inS. araneus and quite frequent inS. arunchi, and several alleles (12) ofS. araneus are missing in S. arunchi. In S. araneus some of these alleles are quite frequent. (3) Strong morphometric differences betweenS. araneus andS. arunchi permit to distinguish these parapatric shrews with great accuracy, also in some cases of marginal sympatry. These evidences support the hypothesis thatS. arunchi might be a recent (end of Pleistocene-lower Holocene) relict of the subgenusSorex s. s.
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