Population genetics analysis on Tritonia tetraquetra

Tritonia tetraquetra is a member of gastropoda class. This study was done to investigate the population genetics of Tritonia populations. In this study, the whole genome of the organisms from individuals from various populations were sequenced, and then using bioinformatics tools, the mitochondrial DNA was assembled, followed by phylogenetic analysis to look at the populations structure of the organisms. In this study, we found that most Tritonia samples from identical or relatively close geographical locations demonstrated similar genetic composition. We hypothesize this to be due to similar environmental and habitat factors between samples. However, we also suggest that other factors likely influence Tritonia genetics given that there were a few Tritonia samples from similar locations that showed differences in their phylogenetic relationship (i.e., we found different species of Tritonia from similar locations). Since we know that Tritonia populations are descendent from a small number of ancestors, the similarities seen between the Tritonia tetraquetra and Tritonia festiva may be due to the Founder Effect (i.e., establishment of a new population based on a small number of the original population). Future studies may include a greater number of organisms from the same geographic locations as was examined in the current study, as well as consider the possible influence of ocean currents, which may move Tritonia larvae from one geographic location to another (thereby potentially facilitating the Founder Effect).