Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://www.arca.fiocruz.br/handle/icict/28958
Type
ArticleCopyright
Open access
Collections
- IOC - Artigos de Periódicos [12642]
Metadata
Show full item record
MOLLUSCAN MODELS IN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY: APPLE SNAILS (GASTROPODA: AMPULLARIIDAE) AS A SYSTEM FOR ADDRESSING FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
Author
Affilliation
University of Hawaii. Pacific Biosciences Research Center. Center for Conservation Research and Training. Honolulu, Hawaii / University of Hawaii. Department of Zoology. Honolulu, Hawaii.
University of Hawaii. Pacific Biosciences Research Center. Center for Conservation Research and Training. Honolulu, Hawaii.
University of Copenhagen. The Faculty of Life Sciences. Department of Disease Biology. Mandahl-Barth Research Centre for Biodiversity and Health. DBL–Centre for Health Research and Development, Thorvaldsensvej 57, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Justus Liebig University Giessen. Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics. Giessen, Germany.
Justus Liebig University Giessen. Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics. Giessen, Germany.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Malacologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
University of Hawaii. Pacific Biosciences Research Center. Center for Conservation Research and Training. Honolulu, Hawaii.
University of Copenhagen. The Faculty of Life Sciences. Department of Disease Biology. Mandahl-Barth Research Centre for Biodiversity and Health. DBL–Centre for Health Research and Development, Thorvaldsensvej 57, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Justus Liebig University Giessen. Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics. Giessen, Germany.
Justus Liebig University Giessen. Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics. Giessen, Germany.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Malacologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Abstract
Molluscs constitute the second largest phylum in terms of the number of described species and possess a wide array of characteristics and adaptations for living in marine, terrestrial, and freshwater habitats. They are morphologically diverse and appear in the fossil record as far back as the early Cambrian (~560 mybp). Despite their high diversity and long evolutionary history, molluscs are often underused as models for the study of general aspects of evolutionary biology. Freshwater snails in the family Ampullariidae have a global tropical and subtropical distribution and high diversity with more than 150 species in nine currently recognized genera, making them an ideal group to address questions of historical biogeography and some of the underlying mechanisms of speciation. They exhibit a wide range of morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that have probably played a role in the processes of diversifi cation. Here we review some of the salient aspects of ampullariid evolution and present some early results from ongoing research in order to illustrate the excellent opportunity that this group provides as a system for addressing numerous questions in evolutionary biology, particularly with regard to the generation of biodiversity and its distribution around the globe. Specifi cally, we suggest that ampullariids have great potential to inform (1) biogeography, both on a global scale and a smaller intra-continental scale, (2) speciation and the generation of biodiversity, through analysis of trophic relations and habitat partitioning, and addressing issues such as Rapoport’s Rule and the latitudinal biodiversity gradient, and (3) the evolution of physiological and behavioral adaptations. Also, a number of species in the family have become highly successful invasives, providing unintentional experiments that may offer insights into rapid evolutionary changes that often accompany introductions, as well as illuminating invasion biology in general.
Share