Why do snails have hairs? A Bayesian inference of character evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Costly structures need to represent an adaptive advantage in order to be maintained over evolutionary times. Contrary to many other conspicuous shell ornamentations of gastropods, the haired shells of several Stylommatophoran land snails still lack a convincing adaptive explanation. In the present study, we analysed the correlation between the presence/absence of hairs and habitat conditions in the genus Trochulus in a Bayesian framework of character evolution.

Results

Haired shells appeared to be the ancestral character state, a feature most probably lost three times independently. These losses were correlated with a shift from humid to dry habitats, indicating an adaptive function of hairs in moist environments. It had been previously hypothesised that these cos

SUBMITTER: Pfenninger M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1310604 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature