Systematic review of terrestrial gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda) and phylogenetic analysis of the Pulmonata from Atlantic Forest of Southern Brazil

• Grant number: 14/00817-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2014
• End date: July 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Ricardo Lopes de Simone
• Grantee: Eduardo Colley
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The research on terrestrial molluscs has advanced globally in recent decades and aroused great interest. However, one can consider that in Brazil, the level of knowledge about the group remains incipient. It is known that the terrestrial molluscan fauna presents environmental importance for the maintenance of natural ecosystems, but when introduced as a exogenous, can harm the environment, agriculture and human health and animals. The proposed study assumes that the molluscan fauna in tropical and sub-tropical regions are extremely diverse and complex. While the region of Parana state is an excellent model for such an inference regarding the diversity of gastropods and environmental heterogeneity. Knowing that the first step in any scientific research is to know what you want to study, and being that the fundamental prerequisite, especially for the biological sciences. This study aims the systematic review of terrestrial gastropods and phylogenetic analysis of Pulmonata from Atlantic Forest area corresponding to the Parana State. The specific objectives: 1. Redescribe the species known and describe the new species through the comparative anatomy and record area of occurrence and distribution; 2. Create an identification key for families. 3. Develop an official list of invasives terrestrial gastropods of Parana. 4. Present the systematic phylogenetic classification for the 121 native species based on comparative morphology as the source of information The study material will correspond to 148 species terrestrial molluscs from Parana, deposited in MZUSP (2.875 lots), MHNCI (197 lots), MNRJ (194 lots), ANSP (122 lots) and MCZ (8 lots) and will be developed in the MZUSP Laboratory of Malacology (2014-2015). (AU)