Cryptic diversity, molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the rock- and leaf litter-dwelling land snails of Belau (Republic of Palau, Oceania).

ABSTRACT: The endemic diplommatinid land snails (Caenogastropoda: Mollusca) of Belau (Republic of Palau, Micronesia) are an exceptionally diverse group of largely undescribed species distributed among rock and leaf litter habitats on most of Belau's 586 islands. Diplommatinid shell morphology (e.g. shell sculpture) reflects habitat type. In this study, I analysed a subset of the 90 diplommatinid species representing a broad geographical spread of islands in order to reveal the species' phylogenetic relationships and biogeography within the Belau archipelago. Diplommatinid species from the islands of Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Guam are also included in the analysis. One nuclear (28S rRNA) and two mitochondrial (16S rRNA, COI) gene regions comprising 1906bp were used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Res

SUBMITTER: Rundell RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2607371 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature