Is Morphology Still Relevant in Mollusk Conservation?

For over 150 years, morphology has driven mollusk taxonomy and systematics. While differences in shell shape, color, and form provide the basis for most species descriptions and identification, anatomical traits including feeding and reproductive structures contribute heavily to our modern understanding of many mollusk groups. The advent of molecular tools has enhanced our ability to delineate species boundaries, understand population genetic structuring, and discover cryptic taxa. While the importance of this genetic data continues to be employed and highlighted, the role of morphology in modern mollusk conservation efforts remains poorly understood. We contend that now, as in years past, morphological data remains a relevant and crucial component to conserving molluscan diversity. Shell morphology remains the primary field identification character for most species, even when clouded by the uncertainties of phenotypic plasticity and convergence. Morphological traits also provide insight into the uncertainty surrounding species delimitation inferred from molecular data in some mollusk groups. In this presentation we discuss classical and emerging methods of morphological data gathering and analysis in molluscan conservation biology including geometric and functional morphometrics, the importance of quantifying and explaining shell variation, and thinking beyond the phenotype as genetics plus environment paradigm.