Karyotypic differentiation of populations of the common shrew L. (Mammalia) in Belarus.

The common shrews, Linnaeus, 1758, inhabiting the territory of Belarus, are characterized by a significant variation in the frequency of Robertsonian (Rb) translocations. The frequency clines for translocations specific of three chromosome races: the West Dvina (, , , ), Kiev (, , , , , , ), and Białowieża (, , , , , ) have already been studied in this territory. In this communication we report new data on polymorphic populations with Rb metacentrics specific of the Neroosa race (, , , , ) in south-eastern Belarus, analyse the distribution of karyotypes in southern and central Belarus and draw particular attention to the fixation of the acrocentric variants of chromosomes in this area.