Consensus and confusion in molluscan trees: evaluating morphological and molecular phylogenies.

ABSTRACT: Mollusks are the most morphologically disparate living animal phylum, they have diversified into all habitats, and have a deep fossil record. Monophyly and identity of their eight living classes is undisputed, but relationships between these groups and patterns of their early radiation have remained elusive. Arguments about traditional morphological phylogeny focus on a small number of topological concepts but often without regard to proximity of the individual classes. In contrast, molecular studies have proposed a number of radically different, inherently contradictory, and controversial sister relationships. Here, we assembled a data set of 42 unique published trees describing molluscan interrelationships. We used these data to ask several questions about the state of resolution of moll

SUBMITTER: Sigwart JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4395843 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature