Partulidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Pupilloidea.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Partulidae Pilsbry, 1900. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=162663 on 2021-12-12
The family is endemic to Pacific islands.Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at https://animaldiversity.org. ITIS Standard Report Page: PartulidaeGerlach, J. (2016) Icons of Evolution - Pacific island tree snails, family Partulidae. Phelsuma Press, Cambridge
Genera The Partulidae are divided into five genera:Cowie, R.H. (1992). Evolution and Extinction of Partulidae, Endemic Pacific Island Land Snails. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, Vol. 335, No. 1274 (Feb. 29, 1992), pp. 167-191.
Eua has four species, confined to Tonga and Samoa. Palaopartula Pilsbry, 1909- has three species, restricted to the Palau. Partula Pilsbry, 1909 - has about 100 species, distributed from New Guinea to the Society Islands. Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 - has about 23 species, distributed in Polynesia and the Mariana Islands. Sphendone has a single species from the Palau.
This cladogram shows the phylogenic relationships of genera in the family Partulidae:Lee T., Burch J. B., Coote T., Pearce-Kelly P., Hickman C., Meyer J.-Y. & Foighil D. O. (18 August 2009). "Moorean tree snail survival revisited: a multi-island genealogical perspective". BMC Evolutionary Biology 9: 204.
Synonyms Aega Hartman, 1881: synonym of Samoana (Marquesana) Pilsbry, 1909 represented as Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 Astraea Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Clytia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Echo Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula (Leptopartula) Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Evadne Hartman, 1881: synonym of Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 Harmonia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula (Marianella) Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of v Helena Hartman, 1881: synonym ofPartula A. Férussac, 1821 Latia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Samoana (Marquesana) Pilsbry, 1909 represented as Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 (unavailable; a junior homonym of Latia Gray, 1850 [Latiidae]) Marianna Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula (Marianella) Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Matata Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Nenia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Oenone Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Pasithea Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821(junior synonym) Rennellia Clench, 1941: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 (junior synonym) Scilistylus Iredale, 1941: synonym ofPartula A. Férussac, 1821 Sterope Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula (Melanesica) Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821
Anatomy
In this family, the number of haploid chromosomes lies between 26 and 30 (according to the values in this table).Barker G. M.: Gastropods on Land: Phylogeny, Diversity and Adaptive Morphology. in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs. CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, . 1-146, cited pages: 139 and 142.
Significance The Partulidae represent a significant species radiation and were important in the development of modern evolutionary studies through the work of Henry Crampton in the early 20th century and later by Bryan Clarke, James Murray and Michael Johnson.
Status Most Partulidae species have declined since 1974 and a very large proportion are extinct. The main threat to their survival has been the introduction of the predatory snail Euglandina rosea.
References
Gerlach J. (2016). Icons of evolution: Pacific Island tree-snails of the family Partulidae. Phelsuma Press.
External links
Partulidae evolution, diversity and conservation Partula Pages Bouchet, P. & Rocroi, J.-P. (2005). Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia. 47 (1-2): 1-397