Review of the current objectives and modern approaches to studying extant and extinct shrews (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) investigation: the origin of the modern subfamilies and diversity of Crocidosoricinae

Abstract

The current review is devoted to topical issues of the origin of modern shrew’ subfamilies Soricinae Fischer, 1817 and Crocidurinae Milne-Edwards, 1868 (Soricomorpha: Soricidae), as well as to the consideration of the possibility of using morphological analysis to search for ancestral groups of modern soricine and crocidurine shrews within the extinct subfamily Crocidosoricinae Reumer, 1987. The data on the taxonomic composition of the Crocidosoricinae subfamily and the preliminary results of a comparative analysis of the Neogene shrews Miosorex Kretzoi, 1959 and Shargainosorex Zazhigin et Voyta, 2018 (Crocidosoricinae) shrews with the representatives of Soricinae and Crocidurinae according to the shape of the first upper molar M1 are presented as an example to substantiate urgent problems in this area. The problem of relations of molecular and morphological data are discussed using individual groups as examples. Modern approaches of geometric morphometry are described, which together with phylogenetic data allow assessing the expression of the phylogenetic signal when analysing the shape of morphological structures. Possible prospects for the practical application of these approaches for the study of fossil material and the search for ancestral lineages of modern shrews among Crocidosoricinae are described.