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Parsimony dictates a human introduction: on the use of genetic and other data to distinguish between the natural and human-mediated invasion of the European snail Littorina littorea in North America

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Abstract

Two centuries of historical, archaeological, paleontological, geological, oceanographical and biological data conclusively indicate that the periwinkle snail Littorina littorea was introduced to North America from Europe either by Norse explorers 1000 years ago or by European colonists after 1840. Available genetic data do not indicate ancient divergence of North American and European L. littorea and thus do not challenge all other evidence that it was introduced from Europe by humans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, OR, 97365-5296, USA

    John W. Chapman & M. Renee Bellinger

  2. Department of Zoology, University of New Hampshire, Rudman Hall, 46 College Road, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    April M. H. Blakeslee

  3. Maritime Studies Program, Williams College – Mystic Seaport, 75 Greenmanville Ave., P.O. Box 6000, Mystic, CT, 06355, USA

    James T. Carlton

Authors
  1. John W. Chapman
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  2. April M. H. Blakeslee
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  3. James T. Carlton
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  4. M. Renee Bellinger
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Correspondence to John W. Chapman.

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Chapman, J.W., Blakeslee, A.M.H., Carlton, J.T. et al. Parsimony dictates a human introduction: on the use of genetic and other data to distinguish between the natural and human-mediated invasion of the European snail Littorina littorea in North America. Biol Invasions 10, 131–133 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9115-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9115-z

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