https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8888-9320
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ABSTRACT
The minute freshwater gastropod Heleobia atacamensis is only known from its type locality Tilopozo, located at the southern end of the Atacama Saltpan, Antofagasta Region, Chile. It is classified as Critically Endangered by the national agency, Ministerio del Medio Ambiente de Chile, due to its restricted distribution. For the first time, we have isolated and evaluated 65 microsatellite markers in 42 specimens of H. atacamensis, successfully characterising 11 as polymorphic. Cross-amplification testing was successful in three other species of the genus. As a result, the development and characterisation of these markers could be useful in future genetic studies of H. atacamensis and its congeners, regarding population structuring, dispersal patterns and recent demographic history. Furthermore, this information will also be significant to undertake conservation efforts in this endangered species, since its environment is highly threatened by lithium mining activities and a global water crisis.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank our anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which improved different aspects of the manuscript. Moisés A. Valladares thanks CONICYT-PCHA/Doctorado Nacional/2014-21140226; and Paola A. Sáez thanks CONICYT-PCHA/Doctorado Nacional/2016-21161242. Luis Pastenes thanks CONICYT-FONDECYT 3140483. This study was authorized by the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) Resolución Exenta No. 3037 and No. 5679, and by Subsecretaria de Pesca y Agricultura (SUBPESCA) Resolución exenta No. 3285.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).