Next step in Monachacantiana (Montagu, 1803) phylogeography: northern French and Dutch populations (Eupulmonata, Stylommatophora, Hygromiidae).

Features of shell and genitalia as well as nucleotide sequences of selected mitochondrial and nuclear genes of specimens of Monachacantiana from ten northern French and two Dutch populations were compared with the same features of British and Italian populations. They were found to be very similar to populations previously identified as belonging to the CAN-1 lineage of M.cantiana. This confirms previous suggestions that M.cantiana was introduced to western Europe (England, France and the Netherlands) in historical times.

Experimental simulation of environmental warming selects against pigmented morphs of land snails.

In terrestrial snails, thermal selection acts on shell coloration. However, the biological relevance of small differences in the intensity of shell pigmentation and the associated thermodynamic, physiological, and evolutionary consequences for snail diversity within the course of environmental warming are still insufficiently understood. To relate temperature-driven internal heating, protein and membrane integrity impairment, escape behavior, place of residence selection, water loss, and mortality, we used experimentally warmed open-top chambers and field observations with a total of >11,000 naturally or experimentally colored individuals of the highly polymorphic species Theba pisana (O.F. MÜller, 1774). We show that solar radiation in their natural Mediterranean habitat in Southern France poses intensifying thermal stress on increasingly pigmented snails that cannot be compensated for by behavioral responses. Individuals of all morphs acted neither jointly nor actively competed in climbing behavior, but acted similarly regardless of neighbor pigmentation intensity. Consequently, dark morphs progressively suffered from high internal temperatures, oxidative stress, and a breakdown of the chaperone system. Concomitant with increasing water loss, mortality increased with more intense pigmentation under simulated global warming conditions. In parallel with an increase in mean ambient temperature of 1.34°C over the past 30 years, the mortality rate of pigmented individuals in the field is, currently, about 50% higher than that of white morphs. A further increase of 1.12°C, as experimentally simulated in our study, would elevate this rate by another 26%. For 34 T. pisana populations from locations that are up to 2.7°C warmer than our experimental site, we show that both the frequency of pigmented morphs and overall pigmentation intensity decrease with an increase in average summer temperatures. We therefore predict a continuing strong decline in the frequency of pigmented morphs and a decrease in overall pigmentation intensity with ongoing global change in areas with strong solar radiation.

Redescription of Monacha pantanellii (De Stefani, 1879), a species endemic to the central Apennines, Italy (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata, Hygromiidae) by an integrative molecular and morphological approach.

Specimens obtained from ten populations of a Monacha species from the central Apennines were compared with six molecular lineages of Monacha cantiana s. l. (CAN-1, CAN-2, CAN-3, CAN-4, CAN-5, CAN-6) and two other Monacha species (M. cartusiana and M. parumcincta), treated as outgroup, by molecular (nucleotide sequences of two mitochondrial COI and 16S rDNA as well as two nuclear ITS2 and H3 gene fragments) and morphological (shell and genital anatomy) analysis. The results strongly suggest that these populations represent a separate species for which two names are available: the older Helix pantanellii De Stefani, 1879 and the junior M. ruffoi Giusti, 1973. The nucleotide sequences created well separated clades on each phylogenetic tree. Genital anatomy included several distinctive features concerning vaginal appendix, penis, penial papilla and flagellum; instead, shell characters only enabled them to be distinguished from M. cartusiana and M. parumcincta. Remarkably, populations of M. pantanellii show high morphological variability. Shell variability mainly concerns size, some populations having very small dimensions. Genital variability shows a more intricate pattern of all anatomical parts, being higher as regards the vagina and vaginal appendix. Despite this morphological variability, the K2P distance range of COI sequences between populations is narrow (0.2-4.5%), if we consider all but three of the 53 sequences obtained. This research confirmed that the species of Monacha and their molecularly distinguished lineages can only occasionally be recognised morphologically and that they have significant inter- and intra-population variability. The possibility of using an overall approach, including shell, genital and molecular evidence, was taken in order to establish a reliable taxonomic setting.

Exploration of phylogeography of Monachacantiana s.l. continues: the populations of the Apuan Alps (NW Tuscany, Italy) (Eupulmonata, Stylommatophora, Hygromiidae).

Two new lineages CAN-5 and CAN-6 were recognised in four populations of Monachacantiana (Montagu, 1803) s.l. from the Italian Apuan Alps by joint molecular and morphological analysis. They are different from other M.cantiana lineages known from English, Italian, Austrian and French populations, i.e. CAN-1, CAN-2, CAN-3 and CAN-4, as well as from the other Italian Monacha species used for comparisons (M.parumcincta and M.cartusiana). Although a definite taxonomic and nomenclatural setting seems to be premature, we suggest that the name or names for these new lineages as one or two species should be found among 19th century names (Helixsobara Mabille, 1881, H.ardesa Mabille, 1881, H.apuanica Mabille, 1881, H.carfaniensis De Stefani, 1883 and H.spallanzanii De Stefani, 1884).

Exploring Monacha cantiana (Montagu, 1803) phylogeography: cryptic lineages and new insights into the origin of the English populations (Eupulmonata, Stylommatophora, Hygromiidae).

Molecular analysis of nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and 16S ribosomal DNA (16SrDNA) as well as nuclear histone 3 (H3) and internal transcribed spacer 2 of rDNA (ITS2) gene fragments together with morphological analysis of shell and genitalia features showed that English, French and Italian populations usually assigned to Monacha cantiana consist of four distinct lineages (CAN-1, CAN-2, CAN-3, CAN-4). One of these lineages (CAN-1) included most of the UK (five sites) and Italian (five sites) populations examined. Three other lineages represented populations from two sites in northern Italy (CAN-2), three sites in northern Italy and Austria (CAN-3), and two sites in south-eastern France (CAN-4). The taxonomic and nomenclatural setting is only currently available for lineages CAN-1 and CAN-4; a definitive frame for the other two requires much more research. The lineage CAN-1 corresponds to the true M. cantiana (Montagu, 1803) because it is the only one that includes topotypical English populations. The relationships and genetic distances support the hypothesis of the Italian origin of this lineage which was probably introduced to England by the Romans. The lineage CAN-4 is attributed to M. cemenelea (Risso, 1826), for which a neotype has been designated and deposited. Its diagnostic sequences of COI, 16SrDNA, H3 and ITS2 genes have also been deposited in GenBank. Molecular and morphological (shell and genitalia) features showed that M. parumcincta (Rossmässler, 1834) is a distinct taxon from the M. cantiana lineages.

Biagio Bartalini's "Catalogo dei corpi marini fossili che se trovano intorno a Siena" (1776).

In 1776, the Sienese botanist Biagio Bartalini (1750-1822) published a catalogue of wild plants growing around Siena, adding an appendix on fossils found in the same area, that is the first monograph on Sienese fossils and one of the first works of its kind in Italy. This paper provides tentative identifications of the species and an analysis of the value and meaning of Bartalini's work. The catalogue reports 72 species, each denoted by a list of names applied to analogous living taxa. Identification of single entities is extremely problematical because it can only be attempted through analysis of the literature, since the original material cannot be traced. The most interesting report is the first record of a Euro-Mediterranean Pliocene species of Sthenorytis (Gastropoda, Epitoniidae). Though important, the catalogue is incomplete, with oversights and mistakes, suggesting little familiarity with the subject. Shortcomings include some inconsistencies in the species sequence, the report of giant clams and the absence of molluscs ubiquitous in the Sienese Pliocene and sharks. Nor is it true that it is the first Italian palaeontological work in which binomial nomenclature was used, as sometimes claimed.

Historical biogeography of Tyrrhenian land snails: the Marmorana-Tyrrheniberus radiation (Pulmonata, Helicidae).

The few studies available on Tyrrhenian land snails support high diversification in the Italian Peninsula and groups structured mainly by vicariant events. Here we investigated the phylogeny of a conchologically diversified group of Tyrrhenian land snails assigned to the genera Marmorana and Tyrrheniberus. We constructed a molecular phylogeny by sequencing two commonly used mtDNA genes (cytochrome oxidase I and the large ribosomal subunit). We also carried out conchological and anatomical analysis. Morphological (shell and genitalia) and genetic data (mitochondrial genes) showed paraphyly of Marmorana. Plio-Pleistocene events in the Tyrrhenian area may have structured relationships between species at regional scale while isolation by distance probably played a role in diversification between populations on a local scale. Continental populations experienced dispersal during interglacial periods and fragmentation and reduction during the dry cold climatic phases. Areas inhabited by Apennine Marmorana could represent relict and/or glacial refugia, with extinction in some areas along the Apennines and survival in the south. The results support a reassessment of taxonomy both at genus and species level and call for further analysis.