EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021

(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)

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5/24/2018 | 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM | POPULATION GENETIC STRUCTURE AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION OF THE ROUND ROCKSNAIL (LEPTOXIS AMPLA) A FEDERALLY THREATENED SPECIES IN THE CAHABA RIVER OF AL, USA. | 420 B

POPULATION GENETIC STRUCTURE AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION OF THE ROUND ROCKSNAIL (LEPTOXIS AMPLA) A FEDERALLY THREATENED SPECIES IN THE CAHABA RIVER OF AL, USA.

Over 75% of freshwater snails in the U.S. and Canada are considered imperiled. Yet, freshwater gastropods are critically understudied, particularly those in the family Pleuroceridae. Population genetics of pleurocerids is almost completely unknown, limiting our understanding of pleurocerid biology and hindering management efforts. Here, we examined the population genomics and associated morphological variation of Leptoxis ampla, a federally listed snail endemic to the Cahaba River in Alabama. From eight populations across the range of L. ampla, we used a 2bRAD-seq approach and geometric morphometrics to sequence 2,000 loci, assess population connectivity, estimate genetic diversity, and compare shape variation. Effective population size estimates varied widely with the majority of genetic variation explained among sites. Analyses suggested 8-9 genetic clusters in our dataset, with limited shared ancestry. Variation in body shape followed similar patterns as those found with population genetics. Gene flow among populations appears to follow a downstream pattern where any given site has more shared ancestry and genetic similarity with populations upstream than those downstream. This natural pattern likely makes headwater populations more susceptible to extirpation thus conservation efforts should prioritize upstream populations.

Genetics
Population
Biodiversity

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Presenters/Authors

Brian Helms (), Troy University, helmsb@troy.edu;