Due to their age, limited ability of dispersal and soft body, gastropods represent ideal model organisms to test the influence of past climatic and/or environmental changes on evolution, e. g. species formation. Delineation of taxa and molecular confirmed georeferences in a group of holarctic microsnails (Pulmonata, Ellobioidea, Carychiidae) will be achieved by using the DNA barcoding approach (storage of DNA barcodes, i. e. COI sequences, pictures, georeferences, chromatograms). Further, these and additional molecular data will be used to construct a dated phylogenetic hypothesis (storage of genetic data, e. g. trees, alignments; storage of fossil data) to investigate the evolution of this group in the light of climatic and/or environmental changes. Therefore, we will apply the methods of climatic niche modeling (georeference data, climatic matrices in .shp or .ascii), niche overlap statistics (climatic niche modelling results in *.ascii or other), palaeoclimate modeling and historical biogeography (phylogenetic hypotheses, georeferences). Moreover, we use phylogeographical approaches (e. g. haplotype networks, population genetics, tests of migration) to investigate possible glacial refugial areas, postglacial routes of expansion and the anthropogenic influence on the recent distribution and dispersal of these microsnails, e. g. disjunct (invasive) populations. Additionally, we have applied the next generation sequencing method (454 sequencing) to one species of this group (Carychium tridentatum) to obtain and set up new phylogenetic markers, microsatellites and SNP data with the aim to extend the significance of phylogeographic and phylogenetic approaches for the Carychiidae.
Temporal coverage:
Phylogeographic approaches approx. 21.000 bp (Last Glacial Maximum) to recent; phylogenetic approaches and the investigation of evolutionary questions during the whole Cenozoic Era.
