A first attempt to track the genetic signature of colonization of the Mediterranean basin by the pygmy white-toothed shrew, Suncus etruscus

The pygmy white-toothed shrew Suncus etruscus is a widespread species whose distribution patterns are unclear. Paleontological data suggested an east to west pattern of dispersion in the Mediterranean basin during the Late Holocene but some doubts are still present especially considering the absence of fossil remains from key areas, such as mainland Italy. Here, we present a preliminary screening of the phylogeographic relationships among Italian pygmy white-toothed shrews and those from other Mediterranean areas. The Italian haplotypes were all very similar without an evident geographic structure; however, we found that the haplotype from Israel, the putative source area for the Mediterranean basin, is almost identical to the most common Italian haplotype. This excludes an ancient event of vicariance between the two areas and we can assume that these haplotypes arrived in the central Mediterranean through the westward wave of colonization, in agreement with the relatively recent arrival of the species in the area.