Abstract
Using cytocaryologic and electrophoretic techniques, the authors were able to clarify the taxonomie status of a number of populations of three european species of shrews belonging to genus Crocidura. They propose a set of reliable morphological criteiia to allow the identification of Crocidura russula, C. leucodon and C. suaveolens (Figs 1 and 2). The present distribution of C. russula and C. suaveolens in Europe is critically reviewed, and shawn on figures 3 and 4. - They also propose a new interpretation of the past history of the group, based on new subfossil material.