Molecular Phylogenetics of Freshwater Gastropods
Summary
Molecular phylogenetics has transformed our understanding of freshwater gastropod evolution by applying DNA sequence data to reconstruct lineage relationships, estimate divergence times and uncover hidden diversity. By analysing both mitochondrial and nuclear markers, researchers can distinguish cryptic species, infer patterns of colonisation and vicariance, and relate diversification to palaeoenvironmental events such as glacial cycles or historic hydrographic changes. This approach has yielded insights into the dynamics of speciation in isolated spring systems, ancient lakes and subterranean habitats, revealing that many nominal taxa comprise multiple genetically distinct lineages. Integrating coalescent-based species‐delimitation methods with morphometric and anatomical data has strengthened taxonomic frameworks and guided conservation prioritisation. The global significance of this work lies in its ability to identify evolutionarily significant units for management, elucidate the role of environmental change in generating freshwater biodiversity and provide a robust evolutionary context for restoration and protection of imperilled gastropod faunas.
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Molecular Phylogenetics of Freshwater Gastropods publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular phylogenetics of freshwater gastropods across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Molecular phylogenetics: The reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among organisms using comparisons of DNA or protein sequences.
Phylogeography: The study of the historical processes that have shaped the geographic distributions of genealogical lineages, often inferred from genetic data.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA): Genetic material found in the mitochondria, commonly used in phylogenetic studies for its high mutation rate and maternal inheritance.
Coalescent‐based species delimitation: A statistical framework that models the genealogical history of gene copies to infer species boundaries.
Cryptic species: Distinct evolutionary lineages that are morphologically similar but genetically divergent, often only revealed through molecular analysis.
References
- Genetic Diversity, Morphometric Characterization, and Conservation Reassessment of the Critically Endangered Freshwater Snail, Heleobia atacamensis, in the Atacama Saltpan, Northern Chile. Biology (2023).
- Revealing the stygobiotic and crenobiotic molluscan biodiversity hotspot in Caucasus: Part I. The phylogeny of stygobiotic Sadlerianinae Szarowska, 2006 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Hydrobiidae) from Georgia with descriptions of five new genera and twenty-one new species. ZooKeys (2020).
- Pseudamnicola Paulucci, 1878 (Caenogastropoda: Truncatelloidea) from the Aegean Islands: a long or short story?. Organisms Diversity & Evolution (2015).
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