Partulidae
Partulidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Pupilloidea.
The family is endemic to Pacific islands.
Genera
The Partulidae are divided into five genera:Eua has four species, confined to Tonga and Samoa.Palaopartula Pilsbry, 1909- has three species, restricted to the Palau.Partula Pilsbry, 1909 - has about 100 species, distributed from New Guinea to the Society Islands. Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 - has about 23 species, distributed in Polynesia and the Mariana Islands.Sphendone has a single species from the Palau.
This cladogram shows the phylogenic relationships of genera in the family Partulidae:
Synonyms
Aega Hartman, 1881: synonym of Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 represented as Samoana Pilsbry, 1909Astraea Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Clytia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Echo Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Evadne Hartman, 1881: synonym of Samoana Pilsbry, 1909Harmonia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of vHelena Hartman, 1881: synonym ofPartula A. Férussac, 1821Latia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 represented as Samoana Pilsbry, 1909 Marianna Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Matata Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Nenia Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Oenone Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Pasithea Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821Rennellia Clench, 1941: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821 Scilistylus Iredale, 1941: synonym ofPartula A. Férussac, 1821Sterope Hartman, 1881: synonym of Partula Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of Partula A. Férussac, 1821
Anatomy
In this family, the number of haploid chromosomes lies between 26 and 30.
Significance
The Partulidae represent a significant species radiation and were important in the development of modern evolutionary studies through the work of Henry Crampton in the early 20th century and later by Bryan Clarke, James Murray and Michael Johnson.
Status
Most Partulidae species have declined since 1974 and a very large proportion are extinct. The main threat to their survival has been the introduction of the predatory snail Euglandina rosea.