FOLIA Folia Malacol. 24(3): 111–177 MALACOLOGICA ISSN 1506-7629 The Association of Polish Malacologists Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe Poznań, September 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.12657/folmal.024.008 PATTERNS OF SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN LAND SNAILS: A MULTI-SCALE APPROACH SERGEY S. KRAMARENKO Mykolaiv National Agrarian University, Paryzka Komuna St. 9, Mykolaiv, 54020, Ukraine (e-mail:
[email protected]) ABSTRACT: Mechanisms which govern patterns of intra-specific vatiation in land snails were traced within areas of different size, using Brephulopsis cylindrica (Menke), Chondrula tridens (O. F. Müller), Xeropicta derbentina (Krynicki), X. krynickii (Krynicki), Cepaea vindobonensis (Férussac) and Helix albescens Rossmässler as examples. Morphometric shell variation, colour and banding pattern polymorphism as well as genetic polymorphism (allozymes and RAPD markers) were studied. The results and literature data were analysed in an attempt to link patterns to processes, with the following conclusions. Formation of patterns of intra- specific variation (initial processes of microevolution) takes different course at three different spatial scales. At micro-geographical scale the dominant role is played by eco-demographic characteristics of the species in the context of fluctuating environmental factors. At meso-geographical scale a special part is played by stochastic population-genetic processes. At macro-geographical scale more or less distinct clinal patterns are associated with basic macroclimatic