THE GENUS SOREX (MAMMALIA, SORICIDAE) - DISTRIBUTION AND EVOLUTIONARY ASPECTS OF EURASIAN SPECIES

There are about 60 species of shrews of the genus Sorex distributed over the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions; these are usually divided into the subgenera Sorex, Otisorex and Microsorex. The Old World species are listed and their phylogeny discussed, with special emphasis laid on the karyotypes. It is proposed that the Old World forms should be divided into the subgenera Homalurus, Sorex and Otisorex. It is also suggested that the subgenus Sorex could be divided into at least three taxonomic units.