Resolving issues of species, phylogeny, and radiation in a diverse group of Old World tropical mammals

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This project will improve our understanding of the diversity and evolutionary relationships in a poorly known group of mammals, Old World shrews of the subfamily Crocidurinae. These shrews are diverse, with approximately 240 species currently recognized, and they are very common members of small mammal communities, especially in central Africa and Southeast Asia. However, knowledge of Old World shrew diversity is very limited, in part due to their conservative morphology. This project therefore emphasizes the use of DNA sequences from independently evolving regions of the genome to delimit species and infer relationships among species. Estimated relationships will then be used to test hypotheses regarding the origins of this diversity, and its connection with lowland tropical or montane areas of the African continent.This project provides insights on the diversity of shrews across the Old World and the evolutionary and ecological processes that have generated this diversity. More generally, our understanding of these processes has important implications for society's ability to preserve biodiversity and our understanding of the evolutionary forces that have shaped species. This grant provides training for a post-doctoral researcher and undergraduate students, facilitates collaboration among molecular and field biologists, and promotes public understanding of biodiversity science through museum exhibits and project websites.