The research of a rare snail species for a Rhodes MSc student, Janine Fearon, has produced exciting findings that were recently presented at an international conference. The snail, Prestonella, is the only element of the Gondwanan lineage Bulimulidae and has survived in isolation for more than 95 million years in post-Gondwanan Africa.
About 350 students and researchers attended the World Malacology Congress in Phuket, Thailand in June this year. “This was my first international conference, the first time I have had to give a talk at a conference and the first time I had to travel overseas by myself. Initially the task was daunting but the positive feedback I received has given me confidence in my ability as a researcher,” said Fearon.
The presentation included a genetic assessment of Prestonella. The endemic genus from the Great Escarpment of South Africa consists of three species including Prestonella bowkeri, Prestonella nuptialis and Prestonella quadinensis. This rare snail has not been found since its original discovery in Lesotho in 1929.
The Prestonella has a highly fragmented distribution and is found almost exclusively on near vertical rock faces near a water course on the shaded, south-facing slopes. “I assessed the genetic diversity of P. bowkeri and P. nuptialis using mitochondrial markers. Populations of both P. bowkeri and P. nuptialis are genetically distinct and have unique genetic diversity. This is due to isolation with no gene flow between these populations over millions of years,” said Fearon.
As a result of their habitat specialisation and fragmented distribution this snail species will undoubtedly be adversely affected by climate change. Populations that have less genetic diversity will be less likely to adapt to the changing environment, thus populations in drier areas with less reliable rainfall should be a conservation priority.
The Prestonella project appealed to Fearon because it was novel. “Nobody had done population genetic work on Prestonella before and certainly not much was known about these snails at all. Due to their fragmented distribution and habitat specialisation I thought we would find some interesting results, and I was right.” concluded Fearon.
The general population knows little about biological research in South Africa and often research is ignored or found to be uninteresting especially if its not a cosmopolitan species. Every organism forms an integral part of an ecological web and contributes to ecosystem function.
South Africa has a remarkably rich biodiversity heritage which should be important to every South African. Research like this adds to our knowledge, creates awareness and helps conserve biodiversity in our country, which ultimately feeds back into ecosystem function.