>Is the genus Anodonta no longer used for any species?
>
>Thanks,
>Linda Bush
>

Anodonta has been split based on genetic evidence. North America now has
Anodonta, Utterbackia, and Pyganodon.  Much of this is based on the work of
my colleague Randy Hoeh, now at Kent State here in Ohio. My own studies of
fossil mussels suggests that eastern anodontines are related to European
species, while western ones are derived from Asia (the same for
Margaritifera), so I support the splitting. Further splitting world wide
will be needed to capture the phylogeny of this group.

The watershed paper is:

Hoeh, W.R. 1990. Phylogenetic relationships among Eastern North American
Anodonta (Bivalvia: Unionidae). Malacological Review 23(1-2):63-82.


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 G Thomas Watters, PhD
 Ohio Biological Survey &
 Aquatic Ecology Laboratory
 The Ohio State University
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