Karyotypic polymorphism of Crocidura tanakae (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) and revision of the karyotype of C. attenuata in mainland China

Conventional karyotypes of Crocidura tanakae and C. attenuata collected from mainland China were examined by bone marrow and cell culture methods along with identification to species using molecular data. In contrast to C. tanakae from Taiwan, populations from mainland China were karyotypically polymorphic, varying in diploid number (2n) from 24 to 40 and fundamental number (FN) from 45 to 56. Autosomes are composed of 6–20 metacentric or submetacentric chromosomes, 0–8 subtelocentric chromosomes, and 0–24 telocentric chromosomes. These polymorphic karyotypes indicate the presence of two geographically separated races. The ancestral karyotype of C. tanakae potentially is the same as currently found on Taiwan: 2n = 40 and FN = 56. In contrast to C. tanakae, C. attenuata had a uniform karyotype (2n = 40, FN = 54) in mainland China, suggesting that previously reported karyotypic polymorphism in this species was an error due to the morphological crypsis between C. tanakae and C. attenuata in mainland China. The intricate karyotypic polymorphism of C. tanakae may be indicative of this species undergoing speciation.