Cerion geophilum (occasionally known as Cerion geophilus) is a species of terrestrial gastropod in the family Cerionidae,[1] endemic to Morales Beach, Cuba.

Cerion geophilum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Cerionidae
Genus: Cerion
Species:
C. geophilum
Binomial name
Cerion geophilum
Clench & Aguayo, 1949
Synonyms
  • Cerion geophilus Clench & Aguayo, 1949

Ecology and species-relationships

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Cerion geophilum is part of the distinct semi-square and flat-spired Cerion species clade (or complex) including C. disforme, alberti and torrei all of which are endemic to Holguin Province. This species naturally hybridizes with C. torrei moralesi in the western reaches of Morales Beach.[2] Variation between various Cerion species within small areas of coastline is significant in comparison to that of other terrestrial gastropod groups- along a 50 kilometer stretch of coastline, seven distinct species and many hybrids are present. Several hybrid-swarm populations were interpreted by Ernst Mayr, representing contact zones between various scattered populations of different species and morphotypes.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "WMSD - Worldwide mollusc species DB - Cerion geophilus". www.bagniliggia.it. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  2. ^ González-Guillén, Adrián; Fernández-Velázquez, Alejandro; Lajonchere-Ponce de León, Luis A.; Berschauer, David P. (February 2017). "Narrow-range taxa of Cerion (Mollusca: Cerionidae)in the northeastern province of Cuba". The Festivus. 49: 3–17 – via ResearchGate
  3. ^ Galler, Lynne; Gould, Stephen Jay (June 1979). "The Morphology of a 'Hybrid Zone' in Cerion: Variation, Clines, and an Ontogenetic Relationship Between Two 'Species' in Cuba". Evolution. 33 (2): 714–727. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1979.tb04723.x. PMID 28563947 – via ResearchGate.