Conservation implications for endangered Euhadra murayamai, restricted to a large-scale limestone cliff: Insights from genome-wide SNP and morphological analyses

Conservation implications for endangered Euhadra murayamai, restricted to a large-scale limestone cliff: Insights from genome-wide SNP and morphological analyses | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Conservation implications for endangered Euhadra murayamai, restricted to a large-scale limestone cliff: Insights from genome-wide SNP and morphological analyses Shun ITO, Osamu KAGAWA, Ichiro YOSHIDA, Satoshi CHIBA, Takahiro HIRANO, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6022193/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Rapid biodiversity loss necessitates accurate taxonomic classification and the definition of conservation units for effective management. Here, we investigated the genetic and morphological distinctiveness of the endangered land snail Euhadra murayamai, endemic to Mt. Myojo, Japan, and its relationship with the closely related species E. quaesita. Genome-wide SNPs from double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) and detailed morphological measurements were obtained. Our analyses revealed clear genetic differentiation between E. murayamai and E. quaesita, challenging previous inferences based solely on mitochondrial markers. Moreover, we detected significant genetic differentiation within E. murayamai populations across low and middle elevations, as evidenced by distinct clustering in fastStructure, a phylogenetic network and principal component analysis, as well as a high FST value. Morphological results aligned with these findings, showing significant differences in shell width and morphology between elevational populations. Approximate Bayesian computation analysis supported a scenario without gene flow after divergence and estimated interspecific divergence at approximately 85,000 generations ago and intraspecific divergence at approximately 35,000 generations ago. These results indicate that limited dispersal and elevational isolation have promoted local adaptation, underscoring the necessity for elevation-specific conservation units. Furthermore, the urgency of incorporating comprehensive genetic and morphological data into conservation planning is emphasised, thereby providing crucial insights for resolving taxonomic uncertainties and guiding effective strategies. Overall, we underscore the importance of integrating high-resolution genetic markers with morphological data to inform conservation strategies for species with restricted distributions and complex evolutionary histories. Conservation Units ddRAD-seq Elevational Divergence Endemic Snail Japan Shell Morphology Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Table 1 is available in the Supplementary Files section. Supplementary Files Table1.docx Appendixtablesfigs.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 27 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 27 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 11 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 15 Feb, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 15 Feb, 2025 First submitted to journal 13 Feb, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6022193","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":528650214,"identity":"e0428c60-332a-47c2-b799-9d4a67e984fb","order_by":0,"name":"Shun 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