The structure of the mammalian heart is associated with heart rate. Small-bodied shrews exhibit exceptionally high heart rates, accompanied by highly specialized cardiac anatomy. However, it remains unclear whether similar traits are present in larger-sized shrew species. Additionally, while previous studies have identified convergent evolution in heart-related genes between shrews and moles, it is not yet known whether such convergence also occurs at the anatomical level. In this study, we employed micro-CT technology to perform three-dimensional reconstructions of the hearts from representative species in Eulipotyphla including shrews (Soricidae), shrew moles (Talpidae), and gymnures (Erinaceidae). Our results show that, regardless of body size, shrew species possess remarkably consistent cardiac structures, characterized by an elongated left ventricle, thickened ventricular walls, and densely packed myocardial trabeculae. The heart anatomy of moles closely resembles that of shrews, whereas gymnures display typical mammalian heart morphology. These findings reveal a generalized anatomical adaptation of the shrew heart to high heart rates and provide morphological evidence for similar adaptations in moles, offering new insights into the adaptive evolution of the mammalian cardiovascular system.
MA Jiaqi
,
ZENG Zeling
,
ZHANG Mengdie
,
OKABE Shinya
,
KOYABU Daisuke
,
WU Yueheng
,
CHEN Zhongzheng
,
WANG Yingxu
,
WANG Xia
,
HE Kai
. Comparison of cardiac anatomy of Eulipotyphla species based on micro-CT[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026
, 46(4)
: 555
-560
.
DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.151069
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