Mitochondrial phylogeography of the land snail Cornu aspersum: Tracing population history and the impact of human-mediated invasion in austral South America

Abstract

Aim: Study one of the most widespread biological invasions by reconstructing the molecular phylogeographic history of non-native populations of the land snail Cornu aspersum in austral South America. Specifically, we wished to: (1) examine the genetic diversity of native vs. non-native populations of C. aspersum; (2) analyse the species' history of dispersal and colonization in austral South America; (3) compare the biogeographic patterns of native and introduced populations; and (4) identify signs of population bottlenecks and/or multiple independent introductions that might explain the current genetic diversity. Locations: North Africa, northwest Europe, North America (California, USA), and South America (Chile). Methods: We obtained sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene from C. aspersum individuals collected from two localities subject to recent introductions (Californian and Chilean populations in North and South America, respectively). We compared these sequences