Now, a new DNA extraction technique being used at the University of Otago aims to improve conservation approaches for endangered and never-before-seen-alive molluscs.
Research author and zoology PhD candidate Kerry Walton said there were about 200,000 different species of mollusc, making them the second-most diverse animal group after arthropods.
"About half of living mollusc species have never been seen or collected alive, and are only known from their shells.
"While there are hundreds of thousands of mollusc specimens in museum collections in New Zealand, only a few thousand — a tiny fraction — are suitable for conventional genetic research approaches.
He said the results provided better understanding around how different regional species related to one another, and allowed novel questions to be answered.
"Enabling researchers to use historically collected shells rather than relying on freshly collected specimens, would significantly increase the number of specimens and species available for genetic research.
"This would enable, for example, conservation genetic approaches to be applied to endangered or never-before-seen-alive molluscs.
"A better understanding of invertebrates is critical to understanding soil or water health, and ecosystems as a whole."
Mr Walton believed natural history collections, often housed in museums, were extremely important but often understated.
"We can now look at how genetic diversity in molluscs have changed through time, from before human arrival in Aotearoa to the present day, and use that information to better understand evolutionary processes and provide evidence-based conservation management guidelines for our taonga species."
