Using genetic methods, Senckenberg scientists have discovered that there are more species and genetic lineages of the Chinese softshell turtles Pelodiscus than previously assumed. These turtles are an important food source in Asia – in China alone, more than 340,000 tons are grown and eaten every year. In their study, recently published in the scientific journal The Science of Nature, the international team shows that this cultivation, in particular, threatens the species diversity of Pelodiscus.