Morphological and Genetic Assessment of Invasive Corbicula Lineages in Southern South America: A Case Study in Argentina.

ABSTRACT: The broad global distribution of freshwater clams belonging to the genus Corbicula is driven by multiple hermaphroditic lineages. These lineages, characterized by shared morphological traits and phenotypic plasticity, pose challenges to morphological identification. Genetic markers, such as the mitochondrial COI gene, play a crucial role in delineating these lineages and their ranges. Morphotypes represent observed phenotypic variations, while lineages are defined based on genetic markers. Here, we comprehensively review Corbicula's distribution in Argentina, discriminate extant lineages based on both morphological and genetic (COI) data, and describe variations in internal and external morphologies using 15 Argentine populations. Genetic analyses identified two mitochondrial

SUBMITTER: Hunicken LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11240789 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature