Wenying  Hong , Rudi  Mai

Hainan Tropical Agricultural Resources Research Institute, Tropical Bioresources Research Center, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Biological Evidence, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 1   
Received: 12 Dec., 2024    Accepted: 13 Jan., 2025    Published: 21 Jan., 2025

African terrestrial snails show significant characteristics in terms of evolutionary adaptation and ecological diversity, and their population diversity, genetic structure and distribution pattern are affected by multiple factors such as paleoclimatic change, geological evolution and geographical barriers. This study focuses on the evolutionary origin and diffusion paths of terrestrial snails in Africa, integrates phylogenetic methods and fossil record data, and analyzes molecular phylogenetic, lineage differentiation and niche evolution of representative genera such as Gittenodouardia and Cornu aspersum. Studies have pointed out that climate fluctuations and ecological fragmentation since the Pliocene have significantly promoted the lineage differentiation of multiple spiral genera, while plateaus, river valleys and climate zones constitute diffusion barriers or corridors. Through a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA and paleoecological models, this study not only clarifies the spatiotemporal evolution process of the main lineages, but also provides a new perspective for understanding the adaptation mechanism and diffusion history of African snails.

African terrestrial snails; Phylogenetic geography; Lineage differentiation; Paleoclimatic change; Diffusion paths