Museum researcher co-authors paper on Eastern Mediterranean freshwater mussels
For immediate release ‐ August 05, 2021
Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request
Shells of Eastern Mediterranean freshwater mussels within the Unioninae subfamily. Click to enlarge.
Located at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean is a region of high diversity of freshwater mussels, including those that occur nowhere else. This is due to their evolutionary histories and ecological and geographical settings, which have changed over time due to shifts in the configurations of mountains and rivers.
Mussels from this area have been little studied, and their diversity and phylogeography are poorly understood.
A recent paper, co-authored by Research Curator of Mollusks Arthur Bogan, presents a broad overview of freshwater mussels of the region based on “multiple field surveys, phylogenetic analyses, and a thorough taxonomic revaluation.”
The study concludes that Unionidae species diversity in the region is over 70% higher than previously thought. The study also presents implications for conservation needs and priorities.
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