World Congress of Malacology Antwerp ... - Unitas Malacologica

First steps in the ecological and phylogenetic study – land snail Monacha cartusiana (O. F.
Müller, 1774) in the area of Central Europe
Mikovcova, Alena; Jurickova, Lucie; Petrusek, Adam
Charles University in Prague, Department of Ecology, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague, CZ,
Email: alena.mikovcova@centrum.cz; lucie.jurickova@seznam.cz; petrusek@cesnet.cz
The main aim of the study is to explain factors important for distribution of the presumely nonindigenous
land snail Monacha cartusiana (O. F. Müller, 1774), currently spreading from its original
range in the Mediterranean to Western and Central Europe. The number of recorded populations of
this species in the Czech Republic has significantly increased especially in the last 15 years, which
makes this species a good model for evaluation of factors facilitating the invasibility of terrestrial
molluscs. The proposed project has two parts – firstly, ecology of Czech populations with different
life histories (well-established overwintering populations vs. short-term invasions) will be compared
with data from the Mediterranean, and survival ability of individuals from Southern Europe under
Central European climatic conditions will be tested. Secondly, phylogenetic and phylogeographic
analysis of M. cartusiana populations in comparison with other related species will assess the
intraspecific diversity and test the hypotheses about origin of newly established populations. We
would like to establish a partnership with malacozoologists all over the Europe to obtain new
experiences, new contacts and materials for the phylogenetic and phylogelographic study. For futher
information about this project please contact Alena Mikovcova from Charles University in Prague.
The enigmatic neogastropod Tritonoharpa:
New data on cancellariid evolution
Modica, Maria Vittoria 1 ; Kosyan, Alisa 2 ; Oliverio, Marco 1
1. Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo, “La Sapienza” Rome University. Viale
dell'Università 32, I-00185 Roma, Italy,
E -mail: mariavittoria.modica@uniroma1.it, marco.oliverio@uniroma1.it
2. Severtsov Institute of Problems of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Leninsky prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia,
Email: kosalisa@rambler.ru
Uncovering the origin of the neogastropods and the relationships among neogastropod families may
benefit significantly from information on key taxa. The strong tendency to parallel evolution of
anatomical systems and conchological features in neogastropods, requires the use of molecular data
along with morphological ones to delineate phylogenetic hypotheses.
Tritonoharpa Dall, 1908 includes 19 nominal species, and has been long considered as close relative
of Colubraria Schumacher, 1817, basing on strong shell similarity and the assumed common lack of
a radula. It was included in Cancellariidae by Beu & Maxwell (1987: NZ Geol. Surv. Pal. Bull. 54),
and distinguished from Plesiotriton Fisher, 1884, by the lack of columellar plaits and of a radula in
Tritonoharpa.
Tritonoharpa is indeed similar to Colubraria in the morphology of head-foot, pallial complex,
reproductive and excretory systems, the extremely long and coiled proboscis, and the very large and
long stomach. It differs however in the rest of foregut anatomy, which reveals cancellariid affinity,
and in its radula, with a typical nematoglossan structure. The molecular data confirm Beu &
Maxwell’s suggestion that Tritonoharpa is a cancellariid, close to Plesiotriton. It is also suggested
that cancellariids be the sister-group to the rest of neogastropods.
Tritonoharpa has a rather large and well developed glandular structure, which may recall either the
gland of Leiblein of other neogastropods or the umpaired acinous accessory salivary gland of
Marginellidae. If this was confirmed as a true homologue to the gland of Leiblein, the possession of
the gland should be considered a synapomorphy of the whole Neogastropoda, and the presence of no
more than a glandular stripe of tissue in other cancellariids could be a secondary reduction. If it was
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