Yue  Zhu¹ , Manman  Li²

1 Aquatic Biology Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
2 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Biological Evidence, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 3   
Received: 27 Mar., 2025    Accepted: 29 Apr., 2025    Published: 16 May, 2025

This study comprehensively explores the evolutionary history of abalones, the formation mechanism of biodiversity and the historical path of their global spread. As Marine gastropods with both ecological significance and economic value, the evolutionary origin of this group can be traced back to the middle of the Cretaceous period. By integrating the fossil records from ancient Marine regions with contemporary molecular system geographic information, the study confirmed that this genus has shown stable retention of morphological characteristics during the long-term evolution process, and further pointed out that the Indo-Pacific region is the main evolutionary hotspot for the diversity of its existing species. Through the analysis of the genetic lineage, it can be seen that the periodic climate changes during the glacial and interglacial periods, the diffusion strategies of the larvae, and the differences in the Marine environment jointly contributed to the complex geographical lineage structure of this species complex. This study proposes a three-dimensional and multi-level analytical framework, which can provide theoretical support and empirical basis for the scientific protection and sustainable development of abalone resources.

Abalone (Haliotis); Fossil record; Molecular phylogenetics; Biogeography; Conservation genetics