Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2023
Höfundar / Authors: Snæbjörn Pálsson1, Hildur Magnúsdóttir1,2, Jake Goodall1,3, Zophonías O. Jónsson1, Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir4
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. University of Iceland, 2. Turning labs, Reykjavik 3. Uppsala University Sweden, 4 Holar University,
Kynnir / Presenter: Snæbjörn Pálsson
Assessment of variation in color, shape and DNA in Common whelk (Buccinum undatum), a subtidal snail with low dispersal capacity, has revealed clear patterns in Breiðafjörður Bay, and across the Atlantic. Whelks from N-America and Europe are distinct and could be classified as two separate species based on genetic divergence and the variation in Breiðafjörður is dependent on depth. To assess the morphological divergence and stability we samples eggmasses from Canada and Iceland, and reared whelks from hatching in controlled environment. The patterns in shape of the reared snails are consistent with what is found in nature but part of the colors are affected by the environment. In addition, the association with depth was studied by analysing samples from different depths around Iceland. The cline in morphology observed in Breidafjörður is not seen in other areas around Iceland but analyses of the genetic patterns around the country are ongoing. The clear genetic structure observed in Breiðafjörður is supported by analysis of whole mitogenomes which reveal two distinct clades within the bay. One clade is observed at low depth but the second clade is found both at low and greater depths, indicating directional gene flow from greater depths towards the shallower areas possibly, with floating eggmasses.