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Freshwater molluscs

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Biogeography and Ecology of Southern Africa

Part of the book series: Monographiae Biologicae ((MOBI,volume 31))

Abstract

Early discussions of the geographical distribution and ecology of African freshwater molluscs were hampered by an inadequate taxonomy, which recognized many species founded on trivial characters of the shell but ignored much of the real biological diversity in the fauna. For example, the species gathered together in Planorbis by Germain (1909) are now divided amongst six genera of which four are endemic to Africa. To Pilsbry & Bequaert (1927) the outstanding features of the freshwater molluscan fauna of the Ethiopian Region were its taxonomic poverty and uniformity over immense areas. This view perhaps could be taken of small waterbodies in some areas of tropical lowland, but in recent years it has become apparent that the ranges and distributions of even the most widespread species are restricted in ways which raise interesting biological questions. Considerable effort has gone into defining and attempting to explain the distribution patterns of snails which are of practical importance as intermediate hosts for trematode parasites of man and domestic livestock.

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Authors
  1. D. S. Brown
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geobotany, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    M. J. A. Werger

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© 1978 Dr W. Junk bv Publishers The Hague

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Brown, D.S. (1978). Freshwater molluscs. In: Werger, M.J.A. (eds) Biogeography and Ecology of Southern Africa. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 31. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9951-0_35

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9951-0_35

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-9953-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-9951-0

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