Three distinct cryptic species of clams have been discovered on the southern coast of Australia.
Until recently, the clams were all believed to be of the same species, but new research has shown that they are in fact different at a genetic level while indistinguishable physically.
It is believed that the species separated from a common ancestor more than 10 million years ago due to a shift in regional temperatures, one of the only cases where a climate change event has been proven to generate new marine biota. The research is important in understanding how climate change can affect genetic make-up.
Read more at University of Michigan