Genotyping by sequencing of Iberian Unio tumidiformis populations
Climate change and associated shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns have become an increasing concern as a driver of ongoing biodiversity loss. The Mediterranean region is particularly vulnerable, being both a biodiversity hotspot and a region very prone to desertification. Freshwater mussels are amongst the most threatened invertebrate taxa worldwide. Unio tumidiformis is an endemic and endangered species restricted to the southern Iberian Peninsula, living in temporary Mediterranean-type streams. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the vulnerability of U. tumidiformis to climate change, by studying its population genetics and evolutionary history using Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms through Genotyping by Sequencing.