Research Information System
ANIMALS, no.15, pp.1-27, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
runcatelloidea are the richest in species group of fresh- and brackish water snails, still
poorly studied. The Anatolia harbours many truncatelloid species, often endangered by
human activity and climate warming, especially dangerous for these snails inhabiting
springs and adapted to cold water. But these snails are still hardly known. Despite the
close geographic relationship between Asia Minor and Europe, some Anatolian groups
have no closer relationships with the European ones; rather, relationships with the Asiatic
fauna must be considered. We have studied one of such groups, finding six species new to
science, and four of them representing two new genera; we describe these snails. Minute
dimensions, resulting in simplified anatomy, as well as wide variation in the morphology,
cause serious problems with the reconstruction of evolutionary (phylogenetic) relationships
between these snails, and even with species distinction. Thus, the application of molecular
data—DNA sequences—has become obligatory to solve this problem. However, sometimes
the molecular data, and especially the results of their analysis, are not congruent with the
morphological ones, and this is the case we are describing. This once more stresses the
necessity of an integrative, holistic approach in the study of animal evolution.