A multivariate approach to morphological study of shell form in cowries (Gastropoda, Cypraeidae): a case study with Umbilia armeniaca (Verco, 1912)

Paul C Southgate; Thane Militz

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1158.98868

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A multivariate approach to morphological study of shell form in cowries (Gastropoda, Cypraeidae): a case study with Umbilia armeniaca (Verco, 1912)

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A multivariate approach to morphological study of shell form in cowries (Gastropoda, Cypraeidae): a case study with Umbilia armeniaca (Verco, 1912)

Paul C Southgate and Thane Militz

ZooKeys, Vol.1158, pp.69-89

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1158.98868

PMCID: PMC10193853

PMID: 37215693

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Abstract

Cowry

gastropod

marine

morphometrics

shell form

taxonomy

Umbilla

Multivariate approaches to morphological study of shell form have rarely been applied to cowries (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) with preference, instead, for comparing formulaic notations of shell form that report averages (i.e., means) for key morphometrics such as shell dimensions, their ratios, and counts of apertural teeth. Although widely applied, the “shell formula” does not account for variation among individuals or support statistical comparison between taxa. This study applied a multivariate approach to analyse shell form within the four accepted subspecies of the cowrie, Umbilia armeniaca (Verco, 1912) and included a previously unstudied, and most northerly, population of U. armeniaca from Lancelin, Western Australia. Multivariate analyses readily separated the recognised subspecies of U. armeniaca (U. a. armeniaca, U. a. diprotodon, U. a. clarksoni and U. a. andreyi), but did not separate the Lancelin population from U. a. andreyi, indicating that the former represents a northward extension of U. a. andreyi that is not morphometrically distinguishable. These results provide improved understanding of infraspecific differences in shell form of U. armeniaca across its broad distribution, and demonstrate the utility of multivariate morphometric methods for statistical comparison of shell form between taxa. This approach is complimentary to existing research practices and has broad potential application in future morphometric studies of both extant and fossil taxa within the family Cypraeidae.

Details

Title: A multivariate approach to morphological study of shell form in cowries (Gastropoda, Cypraeidae): a case study with Umbilia armeniaca (Verco, 1912)
Authors: Paul C Southgate (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
Thane Militz (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
Publication details: ZooKeys, Vol.1158, pp.69-89
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date published: 2023
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1158.98868
ISSN: 1313-2970
PMID: 37215693; PMC10193853
Copyright note: © 2023 Paul C. Southgate, Thane A. Militz. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Organisation Unit: Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99719198802621
Output Type: Journal article

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