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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

phylogeny, Utah lang snail, Oreohelix peripherica, consercation

College

Life Sciences

Department

Biology

Abstract

This study of the Oreohelix peripherica land snail is a continuation of a study sponsored last year by ORCA. In 1993, Ecosearch, Inc. suggested that O. p. wasatchensis, located at Rainbow Gardens near Ogden, deserved being upgraded to having an endangered status according to the US Endangered Species Act because of its reduced area of occurrence and the depletion of its habitat. The phylogenetic hypothesis gathered from the data obtained in last year’s study suggests that the Rainbow Gardens samples are not endemic to that area because they are genetically similar to other populations from different localities. Since the population at Rainbow Gardens is not genetically isolated and is related to diverse populations spread over a large geographical area, these data suggest that it is not in need of special conservation efforts. However, this information does not mean that there may be other populations of land snails that may merit an endangered status. Before we can formulate conclusive results, we need to analyze a greater number of specimens from different geographical areas and study the phylogenetic relationships within the Oreohelix species complex.

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