Giuseppe Pocaterra

• Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 571-582

  Maria Stella Colomba, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano, Walter Renda, Giuseppe Pocaterra, Armando Gregorini & Ignazio Sparacio
  Molecular studies on the genus Medora H. et A. Adams, 1855 from Italy (Gastropoda Pulmonata Clausiliidae)

  ABSTRACT
  In Italy, the genus Medora H. et A. Adams, 1855 includes two species: M. italiana (Küster, 1847) and M. dalmatina (Rossmässler, 1835). In particular, populations ascribed to M. italiana were, and still are, the focus of several works aiming at better understanding the real taxonomic value of these entities and defining their presence on the Italian territory. In order to contribute to the improvement of the current knowledge on the organization of the genus at different taxonomic levels, several populations were investigated by analysing 16S rDNA, COI and ITS2 gene partial sequences. Phylogenetic reconstructions were obtained by the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. Although further studies are needed, preliminary data suggest that the genus Medora shows a much more complex and articulate differentiation than hypothesized so far.

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