Parfait Laurent Basga, Romuald Isaka Kamwa Ngassam, P. Nwane, Dili Siddi Ousman Ila, R. Mimpfoundi
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
ABSTRACT Climatic stratification from equatorial rainforest to Sahelian savannah in Cameroon implies successive bioclimatic ecosystems, various natural and artificial situations that may generate morphological and genetic adaptation of populations of Bulinus forskalii (Ehrenberg, 1831) which is widely distributed throughout the country. The present research was undertaken on 955 snails sampled from 12 populations along a south–north transect to investigate morphological variations of shells. Shell colour varied from dark brown to whitish with Sudano–Sahelian shells being brownish through to whitish, shouldered and strongly carinate. Morphometric characters varied greatly from one population to another, with all shell parameters being highly correlated to shell height. Sudano–Sahelian shells were smaller than equatorial shells. From Sangmélima in the equatorial forest region to Marao in the Sudano–Sahelian region a gradual decrease of shell dimensions was apparent, indicating a morphocline. This could reflect the role played by ecological factors on snail population dynamics.
期刊介绍:
Molluscan Research is an international journal for the publication of authoritative papers and review articles on all aspects of molluscan research, including biology, systematics, morphology, physiology, ecology, conservation, biogeography, genetics, molecular biology and palaeontology.
While the scope of the journal is worldwide, there is emphasis on studies relating to Australasia and the Indo-west Pacific, including East and South East Asia. The journal’s scope includes revisionary papers, monographs, reviews, theoretical papers and briefer communications. Monographic studies of up to 73 printed pages may also be considered.
The journal has been published since 1957 (as the Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia until 1993). It is free to members of the Malacological Society of Australasia and the Society for the Study of Molluscan Diversity.