Littérature MRAC publiée ailleurs

Van Bourgonie, Y R.,  Herrera, J.,  Breugelmans, K.,  Jordaens, K.,  Gombeer, S.,  Meganck, K.,  Smitz, N.,  De Meyer, M. & Backeljau, T. 2019. ‘Molecular taxonomy and phylogeography of the endemic Cuban terrestrial gastropod Emoda sagraiana (Helicinidae)’. 8th International Barcode of Life Conference. Book of abstracts.

Résumé de colloque

Background - Despite the fact that the Helicinidae represent a significant proportion of the tropical molluscan fauna, this family of operculate land snails has been poorly explored. The family comprises over 500 described species with a distribution range limited to the subtropical and tropical zones of the New World, Australasia and the Pacific. In this tropical belt, the island of Cuba has a particularly rich helicinid fauna, including four endemic genera, one of which is Emoda H. & A. Adams, 1856. This genus comprises 14 species that are mainly restricted to mountain areas and that live on the ground under rotting leaves, on branches, as well as on calcareous rocks. The phenotypically polymorph Emoda sagraiana (Orbigny, 1842) varies from a small brownish form with an acute notch and thin lip, to large greenish forms with a red spire and/or callus and a heavy lip. Sometimes intermediate shell forms occur. In order to better understand the taxonomic significance of this polymorphism and to provide an additional identification tool, a DNA barcoding approach was implemented. Results - Based on three mtDNA gene fragments (16S rRNA, COI and Cytb) of 20 specimens and the nuclear ribosomal ITS2 of 43 specimens, 14 haplotypes were distinguished for the three concatenated mtDNA gene fragments and 6 haplotypes for ITS2. Separate Neighbour-Joining trees (Kimura 2-parameter distances) of the concatenated mtDNA gene fragments and of ITS2 suggest that there is geographical structuring in E. sagraiana. Significance - E. sagraiana can occur on the emblematic Cuban “mogotes” (isolated steep-sided hills composed of limestone), which play a significant role in ecotourism. Further investigation of other E. sagraiana can contribute to the conservation of this endemic group.