Geographical variation in shell morphology in the arboreal land snail Leptopoma species in Sabah

Heng, Pooi San (2015) Geographical variation in shell morphology in the arboreal land snail Leptopoma species in Sabah. Universiti Malaysia Sabah. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the geographical variation in shell morphology of the arboreal land snail Leptopoma pellucidum and Leptopoma sericatum in Sabah and to identify the reliable shell characters to be used for taxonomic identification. From the BORNEENSIS collections, 11 samples consisting of 392 shells from seven geographical locations in Sabah have been chosen for further analysis in this study. The quantification of the shell morphology was first performed, followed by examining the relationship between morphological variation and geographical distance. Finally, morphological variation in Leptopoma species was analysed to identify which shell characters are subjected to geographical variation. The results revealed that the greater variation of shell size and the presence of inner ring in the aperture are subjected to the greater geographical distance. Furthermore, shell pattern and the presence of inner ring are found to be the potential key of taxonomic identification for delimitation of the two Leptopoma species, whereas, shell size is unreliable in identification and recognition of the two Leptopoma species. The outcome of this study indirectly illustrates the reliability of each shell characters for delimiting between species which might be a useful contribution for taxonomic studies. It is highly recommended that the future studies should reveal the underlying factors of the geographical variation as it will contribute to the biogeographic and evolutionary studies

Item Type: Academic Exercise
Keyword: Leptopoma, geographical variation, shell morphology, taxonomic identification
Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301-705.5 Biology (General)
Department: FACULTY > Faculty of Science and Natural Resources
Depositing User: MUNIRA BINTI MARASAN -
Date Deposited: 21 Nov 2017 09:28
Last Modified: 21 Nov 2017 09:28
URI: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/16881

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