Beyond Genetic Indicators: How Reproductive Mode and Hybridisation Challenge Freshwater Mussel Conservation.

ABSTRACT: Genetic diversity is a fundamental aspect of biodiversity, yet it is rarely assessed and monitored in conservation practice. Unionid freshwater mussels exemplify the dramatic loss of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems, yet genomic data for these ecologically important species remain scarce. Here, we conducted a high-resolution population genomics study of all Anodonta species in Switzerland, with a focus on two species with contrasting reproductive strategies. After generating draft genomes of the hermaphroditic Anodonta cygnea and the gonochoric Anodonta anatina, we performed whole-genome resequencing of 421 individuals collected in 31 localities. While A. anatina populations followed a metapopulation structure shaped by catchment areas, genetic diversity correlated positively with wat

SUBMITTER: Faust E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12573723 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature