摘要: Despite of the numerical importance of shrews among living mammals, their mating systems have not been well studied. There are relatively few detailed studies of the way in which individuals within a population find mates, the number of mates, or patterns of mate-guarding and parental care. The following chapter presents a review of current information relating to the evolution of mating systems in the Soricidae, and an outline of promising directions for future research. Our approach is to attempt to provide adaptive explanations for observed patterns of spatial dispersion, oestrus, and mating behaviour in this group, in the context of current ethological theory.