Moving this blog
19-10-2010 13:50
After some experimenting
during the last days, I have decided to move my blog to
a new place.
It doesn’t mean that this site will be abandoned, however, as I will continue to update the research topics and my publications here.
If you like to be informed about the progress - steadily but slowly - follow the link below. Please let me know your feedback about this change. Your opinion counts!
It doesn’t mean that this site will be abandoned, however, as I will continue to update the research topics and my publications here.
If you like to be informed about the progress - steadily but slowly - follow the link below. Please let me know your feedback about this change. Your opinion counts!
New paper
16-10-2010 11:52
Today a new paper was
published in Zoologische Mededelingen about well-known
and little-known landsnails in Peru. A link will be
added once the PDF is available.
Steadily but not so slowly
15-10-2010 11:44
Alex Popovkin sent me a
link to a video he made of the Simpulopsis
specimen
earlier
reported on.
Creeping steadily, but not so slowly... If all snails behave like this I should emend the motto of my site. But I need further evidence to believe it.
Creeping steadily, but not so slowly... If all snails behave like this I should emend the motto of my site. But I need further evidence to believe it.
Preparing a student
14-10-2010 20:57
This week a student keeps
me busy, who is preparing her field work in Peru for
the next six months. She will collect ecological data
in two areas - for one of them see here
and here
- where carinated
species and species with uncoiling shells occur.
With the collected data, we hope to get more insight in the hypothesis that in these areas there might be ‘ecological stress’ as (one of the) factors that lead to these peculiar shell shapes. Also interesting that ‘ecological stress’ has been mentioned as a factor for uncoiling shells in freshwater Gastropods in a newly published paper (link).
With the collected data, we hope to get more insight in the hypothesis that in these areas there might be ‘ecological stress’ as (one of the) factors that lead to these peculiar shell shapes. Also interesting that ‘ecological stress’ has been mentioned as a factor for uncoiling shells in freshwater Gastropods in a newly published paper (link).
Manna from heaven?
12-10-2010 07:37
The Lissachatina
saga
continues... Sadly,
but seemingly inevitable. This time in a place where
it may remain totally out of control.
Pictures that I received from Colombian sources, show a flourishing population in Colombia, Dept. Putumayo, Puerto Asis. As this is at the border of Ecuador, and no records for Lissachatina are known for northern localities at the eastern side of the Andes in Colombia, it seems probable that these snails have been “imported” from Ecuador.
To the poor inhibatants of this area, the sudden appearance of these snails is perhaps perceived like manna from heaven. Big bulky snails, ready to eat and use their mucus. Perhaps they are good for making some money too....
Little they know of the damage that is in store for them in their fields. Of the health risks they have to endure when one of the snails is infected.
And although the authorities have been informed, this area is way out of their attention. Slowly, but steadily, this plague will disperse.
Pictures that I received from Colombian sources, show a flourishing population in Colombia, Dept. Putumayo, Puerto Asis. As this is at the border of Ecuador, and no records for Lissachatina are known for northern localities at the eastern side of the Andes in Colombia, it seems probable that these snails have been “imported” from Ecuador.
To the poor inhibatants of this area, the sudden appearance of these snails is perhaps perceived like manna from heaven. Big bulky snails, ready to eat and use their mucus. Perhaps they are good for making some money too....
Little they know of the damage that is in store for them in their fields. Of the health risks they have to endure when one of the snails is infected.
And although the authorities have been informed, this area is way out of their attention. Slowly, but steadily, this plague will disperse.
Photo of the day (108): Simpulopsis
11-10-2010 20:14
Nearly as green as green
can be... This picture is one of a series that Alex Popovkin made in the
Atlantic Forest near Bahia. It is Simpulopsis
rufovirens (S. Moricand, 1846).
A perfect example of mimicry, where snails nearly completely dissolve in the background for the untrained eye. Not for Alex, whose blog on the flora and fauna of the region may be found here.
A perfect example of mimicry, where snails nearly completely dissolve in the background for the untrained eye. Not for Alex, whose blog on the flora and fauna of the region may be found here.
New taxa (25): Annulariidae
08-10-2010 15:21
Sometimes relevant
literature appears in journals were you don’t expect
it. In the last number of Visaya - a journal nearly
exclusively devoted to marine shells - a paper was
published describing new taxa from the Dominican
Republic.
G.T. Watters, a well-known specialist on Annulariidae, describes the following taxa:
Abbottella (Abbottella) aenea n.sp., type locality Dominican Republic, Prov. La Altagracia, Punta Cana. Holotype UF 434777.
Leiabbottella n.gen., type species Leiabbottella galaxius Watters, 2010.
Leiabbottella galaxius n.sp., type locality Dominican Republic, Prov. Samaná, along Route 5 between Santa Bárbara de Samaná and Sánchez. Holotype UF 434779.
Left: A. (A.) aenea; right: L. galaxius.
Reference:
Watters, G.T., 2010. New taxa of Annulariidae from Dominican Republic (Gastropoda: Littorinoidea). - Visaya 3: 16-20.
G.T. Watters, a well-known specialist on Annulariidae, describes the following taxa:
Abbottella (Abbottella) aenea n.sp., type locality Dominican Republic, Prov. La Altagracia, Punta Cana. Holotype UF 434777.
Leiabbottella n.gen., type species Leiabbottella galaxius Watters, 2010.
Leiabbottella galaxius n.sp., type locality Dominican Republic, Prov. Samaná, along Route 5 between Santa Bárbara de Samaná and Sánchez. Holotype UF 434779.
Left: A. (A.) aenea; right: L. galaxius.
Reference:
Watters, G.T., 2010. New taxa of Annulariidae from Dominican Republic (Gastropoda: Littorinoidea). - Visaya 3: 16-20.
New literature
07-10-2010 14:58
Recent literature - or
what is somewhat older but only recently came to my
attention - includes the following papers on
Neotropical alnd snails. Abstracts are those from the
authors.
Arruda, J., Pereira, D., Bergonci, P., Pinheiro dos Santos, C., Mansur, M., 2009. New records of Omalonyx matheroni (Pontiez & Michaud, 1835) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Succineidae) for the Sao Paulo and Parana States. Novos registros de Omalonyx matheroni (Pontiez & Michaud, 1835) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Succineidae) para os Estados de Sao Paulo e Parana, Brasil. - Biotemas 22:187-190. Link.
Omalonyx matheroni is a succineid gastropod that lives on aquatic macrophytes and on emergent vegetation in the wetlands of inner deltas, lakes and dikes. Occurrences of this species were recorded in the municipalities of Ibitinga (SP) and Paranagua (PR), broadening its distribution southwards in South America. Until now this species had been recorded in Demerara (Guiana), Zanderij and Belwaarde (Suriname), Guiana Francesa, Peru, Limoncocha (Equador), Amazonas, Para, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais (Brazil), as well as on the islands of Guadalupe and Trinidade.
de Medeiros Carvalho, C., Pinheiro da Silva, J., Mendonca, C., de Almeida Bessa, E., D'Avila, S., 2009. Life history strategy of Leptinaria unilamellata (d'Orbigny, 1835) (Mollusca, Pulmonata, Subulinidae). - Invertebrate Reproduction and Development 53: 211-222.
Life history theory predicts that the patterns of resource allocation in animals are associated with different strategics, selected in the course of evolution. In the present study, the life history of Leptinaria unilamellata was characterized under laboratory conditions. We determined the growth, reproduction, and longevity patterns of this species and elucidated the strategy related to the development of embryos, through direct observations and examination of the morphology of the gravid uterus. Furthermore, we attempted to analyze the glycogen and galactogen contents of the albumen gland, digestive gland and cephalopedal mass in order to understand energy allocation to life history traits, for three life stages. Leptinaria unilamellata 's life history is characterized by great longevity, a short juvenile phase, early sexual maturity, and repeated reproductive events, with little reproductive effort at each event and some mortality shortly after the first reproduction. In the terraria, we found juveniles but no eggs. However, the results of the anatomical study showed no morphological connection between the embryos and the parental organism. Thus, this species should be described as ovoviviparous rather than viviparous. Egg retention in the parent organism is the primary cause ofthe release of juveniles, instead of eggs, enabling the offspring to withstand environmental stress. The higher quantity of galactogen found in the adults' albumen gland, as compared to juveniles and senescent individuals, as well as the ratio of glycogen to galactogen, reveal the allocation of energy to reproduction rather than to growth. The remaining energy is directed to the maintenance of homeostasis. Such pattern was confirmed by the low levels of glycogen and galactogen observed in the senescent stage, compared to the juvenile and adult stages. In the life strategy of L. unilamellata, the distribution ofthe reproductive effort among many events associated with ovoviviparity indicates a long-term investment in reproductive success.
dos Santos, S., Viana, T., Fonseca, F., 2008. First record of the micro-predator Huttonella bicolor (Hutton, 1834) (Gastropoda, Streptaxidae) on Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. - Biociencias 16:145-148. Link.
Arruda, J., Pereira, D., Bergonci, P., Pinheiro dos Santos, C., Mansur, M., 2009. New records of Omalonyx matheroni (Pontiez & Michaud, 1835) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Succineidae) for the Sao Paulo and Parana States. Novos registros de Omalonyx matheroni (Pontiez & Michaud, 1835) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Succineidae) para os Estados de Sao Paulo e Parana, Brasil. - Biotemas 22:187-190. Link.
Omalonyx matheroni is a succineid gastropod that lives on aquatic macrophytes and on emergent vegetation in the wetlands of inner deltas, lakes and dikes. Occurrences of this species were recorded in the municipalities of Ibitinga (SP) and Paranagua (PR), broadening its distribution southwards in South America. Until now this species had been recorded in Demerara (Guiana), Zanderij and Belwaarde (Suriname), Guiana Francesa, Peru, Limoncocha (Equador), Amazonas, Para, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais (Brazil), as well as on the islands of Guadalupe and Trinidade.
de Medeiros Carvalho, C., Pinheiro da Silva, J., Mendonca, C., de Almeida Bessa, E., D'Avila, S., 2009. Life history strategy of Leptinaria unilamellata (d'Orbigny, 1835) (Mollusca, Pulmonata, Subulinidae). - Invertebrate Reproduction and Development 53: 211-222.
Life history theory predicts that the patterns of resource allocation in animals are associated with different strategics, selected in the course of evolution. In the present study, the life history of Leptinaria unilamellata was characterized under laboratory conditions. We determined the growth, reproduction, and longevity patterns of this species and elucidated the strategy related to the development of embryos, through direct observations and examination of the morphology of the gravid uterus. Furthermore, we attempted to analyze the glycogen and galactogen contents of the albumen gland, digestive gland and cephalopedal mass in order to understand energy allocation to life history traits, for three life stages. Leptinaria unilamellata 's life history is characterized by great longevity, a short juvenile phase, early sexual maturity, and repeated reproductive events, with little reproductive effort at each event and some mortality shortly after the first reproduction. In the terraria, we found juveniles but no eggs. However, the results of the anatomical study showed no morphological connection between the embryos and the parental organism. Thus, this species should be described as ovoviviparous rather than viviparous. Egg retention in the parent organism is the primary cause ofthe release of juveniles, instead of eggs, enabling the offspring to withstand environmental stress. The higher quantity of galactogen found in the adults' albumen gland, as compared to juveniles and senescent individuals, as well as the ratio of glycogen to galactogen, reveal the allocation of energy to reproduction rather than to growth. The remaining energy is directed to the maintenance of homeostasis. Such pattern was confirmed by the low levels of glycogen and galactogen observed in the senescent stage, compared to the juvenile and adult stages. In the life strategy of L. unilamellata, the distribution ofthe reproductive effort among many events associated with ovoviviparity indicates a long-term investment in reproductive success.
dos Santos, S., Viana, T., Fonseca, F., 2008. First record of the micro-predator Huttonella bicolor (Hutton, 1834) (Gastropoda, Streptaxidae) on Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. - Biociencias 16:145-148. Link.
New taxa (24): Spixia
06-10-2010 16:20
Back in Leiden, one of
the first things I did is to check the new journal
arrivals in the library. As long as journals appear on
paper, it is a great joy to physically browse through
them and to find interesting publications.
One of them is a paper on a new species of Spixia, S. cuezzae, by Eugenia Salas Oroño. It was found in Argentina, Prov. Córdoba, Punilla Dept., road from Capilla del Monte to San Marcos Sierras, 944 m. Holotype IML 15284.
The new species is described in the context of a revision of the genus, for which Eugenia has been doing much work during the past years. One characteristic of this group is the fine micro-sculpture on the whorls.
She will defend her Ph.D. thesis soon I guess.
Reference:
Salas Oroño, E., 2010. A new species of Spixia from Argentina (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Odontostominae). - Journal of Conchology 40: 305-313.
One of them is a paper on a new species of Spixia, S. cuezzae, by Eugenia Salas Oroño. It was found in Argentina, Prov. Córdoba, Punilla Dept., road from Capilla del Monte to San Marcos Sierras, 944 m. Holotype IML 15284.
The new species is described in the context of a revision of the genus, for which Eugenia has been doing much work during the past years. One characteristic of this group is the fine micro-sculpture on the whorls.
She will defend her Ph.D. thesis soon I guess.
Reference:
Salas Oroño, E., 2010. A new species of Spixia from Argentina (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Odontostominae). - Journal of Conchology 40: 305-313.
Tree of life, a philosophical debate
04-10-2010 12:50
Recently, a special
number appeared of Biology and Philosophy
on different views on
the Tree of Life (ToL).
A paper by O’Malley at al. introduces the debate.
The ‘Tree of Life’ is intended to represent the pattern of evolutionary processes that result in bifurcating species lineages. Often justified in reference to Darwin’s discussions of trees, the Tree of Life has run up against numerous challenges especially in regard to prokaryote evolution. This special issue examines scientific, historical and philosophical aspects of debates about the Tree of Life, with the aim of turning these criticisms towards a reconstruction of prokaryote phylogeny and even some aspects of the standard evolutionary understanding of eukaryotes. These discussions have arisen out of a multidisciplinary collaboration of people with an interest in the Tree of Life, and we suggest that this sort of focused engagement enables a practical understanding of the relationships between biology, philosophy and history.
Ford Doolittle argues why we need a more realistic public understanding of evolution, stressing the fact that evolutionairy theory is only versatile explanotory toolkit.
The paper by Rieppel explores different, conceptual views and expresses the need to distinguish between different conceptual theorems.
The history of biological systematics documents a continuing tension between classifications in terms of nested hierarchies congruent with branching diagrams (the ‘Tree of Life’) versus reticulated relations. The recognition of conflicting character distribution led to the dissolution of the scala naturae into reticulated systems, which were then transformed into phylogenetic trees by the addition of a vertical axis. The cladistic revolution in systematics resulted in a representation of phylogeny as a strictly bifurcating pattern (cladogram). Due to the ubiquity of character conflict—at the genetic or morphological level, or at any level in between—some characters will necessarily have to be discarded (qua noise) in favor of others in support of a strictly bifurcating phylogenetic tree. Pattern analysts will seek maximal congruence in the distribution of characters (ultimately of any kind) relative to a branching tree-topology; process explainers will call such tree-topologies into question by reference to incompatible evolutionary processes. Pattern analysts will argue that process explanations must not be brought to bear on pattern reconstruction; process explainers will insist that the reconstructed pattern requires a process explanation to become scientifically relevant, i.e., relevant to evolutionary theory. The core question driving the current debate about the adequacy of the ‘Tree of Life’ metaphor seems to be whether the systematic dichotomization of the living world is an adequate representation of the complex evolutionary history of global biodiversity. In ‘Questioning the Tree of Life’, it seems beneficial to draw at least four conceptual distinctions: pattern reconstruction versus process explanation as different epistemological approaches to the study of phylogeny; open versus closed systems as expressions of different kinds of population (species) structures; phylogenetic trees versus cladograms as representations of evolutionary processes versus patterns of relationships; and genes versus species as expressions of different levels of causal integration and evolutionary transformation.
Mallet states that the species concept as currently understood, appears to be returning to more Darwinian views on species, and to a fuller appreciation of what Darwin meant. As O’Malley shows, the dichotomy of life concept held by several biologists from the 20th century, was formulated from a too narrow perspective.
Morgan discusses new concepts of biodiversity and species delimitation, and argues for a phenetic rather than a phylogenetic measure of distance and the use of morphospaces.
With a number of papers focussed on understanding microbial speciation, sometimes a paper on this topic seems to have relevance outside the eukaryotic realm. Belko discusses the balance between vertical descent and phylogenetic networks.
Velasco and Sober give a methodological contribution by discussing model selection and phylogentic inference.
A phylogeny that allows for lateral gene transfer (LGT) can be thought of as a strictly branching tree (all of whose branches are vertical) to which lateral branches have been added. Given that the goal of phylogenetics is to depict evolutionary history, we should look for the best supported phylogenetic network and not restrict ourselves to considering trees. However, the obvious extensions of popular tree-based methods such as maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood face a serious problem—if we judge networks by fit to data alone, networks that have lateral branches will always fit the data at least as well as any network that restricts itself to vertical branches. This is analogous to the well-studied problem of overfitting data in the curve-fitting problem. Analogous problems often have analogous solutions and we propose to treat network inference as a case of model selection and use the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Strictly tree-like networks are more parsimonious than those that postulate lateral as well as vertical branches. This leads to the conclusion that we should not always infer LGT events whenever it would improve our fit-to-data, but should do so only when the improved fit is larger than the penalty for adding extra lateral branches.
In Franklin-Hall’s view, the ToL may play an important role in the dynamic modeling of evolution. Finally, Bapteste and Burian make a plea for a more integrative approach.
Recently improved understanding of evolutionary processes suggests that tree-based phylogenetic analyses of evolutionary change cannot adequately explain the divergent evolutionary histories of a great many genes and gene complexes. In particular, genetic diversity in the genomes of prokaryotes, phages, and plasmids cannot be fit into classic tree-like models of evolution. These findings entail the need for fundamental reform of our understanding of molecular evolution and the need to devise alternative apparatus for integrated analysis of these genomes. We advocate the development of integrative phylogenomics for analyzing these genomes and their histories, with tools suited to analyzing the importance of lateral gene transfer (LGT) and of DNA evolution in extra-cellular mobile genetic elements (e.g., viruses, plasmids). These phenomena greatly increase the complexity of relationships among interacting genetic partners, as they exchange functional genetic units. We examine the ontology of functional genetic units, interacting genetic partners, and emergent genetic associations, argue that these three categories of entities are required for a successful integrated phylogenomics. We conclude with arguments to suggest that the proposed new perspective and associated tools are suitable, and perhaps required, as a replacement for the bifurcating trees that have dominated evolutionary thinking for the last 150 years.
These papers are open access and are recommended to those who like to sharpen their thoughts on evolutionary theory, species concepts and methodologies used to investigate them.
A paper by O’Malley at al. introduces the debate.
The ‘Tree of Life’ is intended to represent the pattern of evolutionary processes that result in bifurcating species lineages. Often justified in reference to Darwin’s discussions of trees, the Tree of Life has run up against numerous challenges especially in regard to prokaryote evolution. This special issue examines scientific, historical and philosophical aspects of debates about the Tree of Life, with the aim of turning these criticisms towards a reconstruction of prokaryote phylogeny and even some aspects of the standard evolutionary understanding of eukaryotes. These discussions have arisen out of a multidisciplinary collaboration of people with an interest in the Tree of Life, and we suggest that this sort of focused engagement enables a practical understanding of the relationships between biology, philosophy and history.
Ford Doolittle argues why we need a more realistic public understanding of evolution, stressing the fact that evolutionairy theory is only versatile explanotory toolkit.
The paper by Rieppel explores different, conceptual views and expresses the need to distinguish between different conceptual theorems.
The history of biological systematics documents a continuing tension between classifications in terms of nested hierarchies congruent with branching diagrams (the ‘Tree of Life’) versus reticulated relations. The recognition of conflicting character distribution led to the dissolution of the scala naturae into reticulated systems, which were then transformed into phylogenetic trees by the addition of a vertical axis. The cladistic revolution in systematics resulted in a representation of phylogeny as a strictly bifurcating pattern (cladogram). Due to the ubiquity of character conflict—at the genetic or morphological level, or at any level in between—some characters will necessarily have to be discarded (qua noise) in favor of others in support of a strictly bifurcating phylogenetic tree. Pattern analysts will seek maximal congruence in the distribution of characters (ultimately of any kind) relative to a branching tree-topology; process explainers will call such tree-topologies into question by reference to incompatible evolutionary processes. Pattern analysts will argue that process explanations must not be brought to bear on pattern reconstruction; process explainers will insist that the reconstructed pattern requires a process explanation to become scientifically relevant, i.e., relevant to evolutionary theory. The core question driving the current debate about the adequacy of the ‘Tree of Life’ metaphor seems to be whether the systematic dichotomization of the living world is an adequate representation of the complex evolutionary history of global biodiversity. In ‘Questioning the Tree of Life’, it seems beneficial to draw at least four conceptual distinctions: pattern reconstruction versus process explanation as different epistemological approaches to the study of phylogeny; open versus closed systems as expressions of different kinds of population (species) structures; phylogenetic trees versus cladograms as representations of evolutionary processes versus patterns of relationships; and genes versus species as expressions of different levels of causal integration and evolutionary transformation.
Mallet states that the species concept as currently understood, appears to be returning to more Darwinian views on species, and to a fuller appreciation of what Darwin meant. As O’Malley shows, the dichotomy of life concept held by several biologists from the 20th century, was formulated from a too narrow perspective.
Morgan discusses new concepts of biodiversity and species delimitation, and argues for a phenetic rather than a phylogenetic measure of distance and the use of morphospaces.
With a number of papers focussed on understanding microbial speciation, sometimes a paper on this topic seems to have relevance outside the eukaryotic realm. Belko discusses the balance between vertical descent and phylogenetic networks.
Velasco and Sober give a methodological contribution by discussing model selection and phylogentic inference.
A phylogeny that allows for lateral gene transfer (LGT) can be thought of as a strictly branching tree (all of whose branches are vertical) to which lateral branches have been added. Given that the goal of phylogenetics is to depict evolutionary history, we should look for the best supported phylogenetic network and not restrict ourselves to considering trees. However, the obvious extensions of popular tree-based methods such as maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood face a serious problem—if we judge networks by fit to data alone, networks that have lateral branches will always fit the data at least as well as any network that restricts itself to vertical branches. This is analogous to the well-studied problem of overfitting data in the curve-fitting problem. Analogous problems often have analogous solutions and we propose to treat network inference as a case of model selection and use the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Strictly tree-like networks are more parsimonious than those that postulate lateral as well as vertical branches. This leads to the conclusion that we should not always infer LGT events whenever it would improve our fit-to-data, but should do so only when the improved fit is larger than the penalty for adding extra lateral branches.
In Franklin-Hall’s view, the ToL may play an important role in the dynamic modeling of evolution. Finally, Bapteste and Burian make a plea for a more integrative approach.
Recently improved understanding of evolutionary processes suggests that tree-based phylogenetic analyses of evolutionary change cannot adequately explain the divergent evolutionary histories of a great many genes and gene complexes. In particular, genetic diversity in the genomes of prokaryotes, phages, and plasmids cannot be fit into classic tree-like models of evolution. These findings entail the need for fundamental reform of our understanding of molecular evolution and the need to devise alternative apparatus for integrated analysis of these genomes. We advocate the development of integrative phylogenomics for analyzing these genomes and their histories, with tools suited to analyzing the importance of lateral gene transfer (LGT) and of DNA evolution in extra-cellular mobile genetic elements (e.g., viruses, plasmids). These phenomena greatly increase the complexity of relationships among interacting genetic partners, as they exchange functional genetic units. We examine the ontology of functional genetic units, interacting genetic partners, and emergent genetic associations, argue that these three categories of entities are required for a successful integrated phylogenomics. We conclude with arguments to suggest that the proposed new perspective and associated tools are suitable, and perhaps required, as a replacement for the bifurcating trees that have dominated evolutionary thinking for the last 150 years.
These papers are open access and are recommended to those who like to sharpen their thoughts on evolutionary theory, species concepts and methodologies used to investigate them.
Working in NHM collection (10)
01-10-2010 19:45
Wrapping up after four
very intense weeks, I find in my data sheet 646
Orthalicoid taxa of which I inspected the type lots.
Seventeen of these are still in the ‘problem box’,
either because I couldn’t find them or I haven’t yet
reached definitive conclusions. That makes 629, plus 5
taxa of which the status is either “non-Orthalicid” or
“possibly Orthalicid”. The latter are thus the real
problematic ones.
Thinking now of the best way to document this for future generations of malacologists.
During these weeks I met some wonderful people. Some I had met before, like Kathie Way and Peter Mordan. And the co-visitor during my first week, Dai Herbert. Several I have met for the first time and some contacts may be fruitful in the future.
Finally, I like to thank again my host, Jonathan Ablett, for being so helpful and supportive. “One day it will be perfect”. Keep up that spirit, Jon!
Thinking now of the best way to document this for future generations of malacologists.
During these weeks I met some wonderful people. Some I had met before, like Kathie Way and Peter Mordan. And the co-visitor during my first week, Dai Herbert. Several I have met for the first time and some contacts may be fruitful in the future.
Finally, I like to thank again my host, Jonathan Ablett, for being so helpful and supportive. “One day it will be perfect”. Keep up that spirit, Jon!