Did Captain Beechey see a living Mandarina luhuana, an extinct land snail species?

A new study challenges the long-held belief that the land snail species Mandarina luhuana, first collected from the Ogasawara Islands in 1827, was already extinct by the time of human arrival. Using accelerator mass spectrometry dating on subfossil samples, researchers found evidence suggesting M. luhuana survived until at least the early 19th century—well after humans began inhabiting the islands in the 17th century. This contradicts the traditional view that the species was fossilized and extinct pre-human contact. The findings imply that human activity likely accelerated its extinction, highlighting the need for further research to understand the broader impact of early human colonization on island ecosystems.

Chiba, S. (2023). Did Captain Beechey see a living Mandarina luhuana, an extinct land snail species? Journal of Molluscan Studies, 89(4). https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyad018