Distributional patterns of Vetigastropoda (Mollusca) all over the world: a track analysis

Abstract

Abstract The distributional patterns of the species of the mollusc subclass Vetigastropoda were analysed using the panbiogeographical method of track analysis. We analysed distributional data of 434 species and 72 genera of the world obtained from specialized literature and records in 12 malacological collections. We constructed the individual tracks for the species analysed and superimposed them, applying a parsimony analysis of endemicity with progressive character elimination. We identified 26 generalized tracks, extending in the Pacific Ocean (14), Indian Ocean (six), Atlantic Ocean (four), Mediterranean Sea (one) and Atlantic–Pacific Oceans (one). The generalized tracks show the complex relationships of the mollusc biota, representing geographical and phylogenetic boundaries of taxa with diverse geographical affinities. Five panbiogeographical nodes were identified by the intersection of two or more generalized tracks. Our analysis offers an approximation for understanding the distributional patterns of vetigastropod species worldwide from the perspective of evolutionary or historical biogeography. The results obtained for the Vetigastropoda coincide completely or in part with those previously presented for other taxa. The generalized tracks support hypotheses of primary biogeographical homology that might be corroborated by evidence from other different, phylogenetically unrelated taxa.