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Dr Ponder Page | Classification of gastropods
Phylogeny of Caenogastropods
Research Scientist: Dr Winston Ponder
Caenogastropods are the largest and most conspicuous of the living groups of gastropods (snails, slugs, limpets). The caenogastropods are mainly marine, but include important families of freshwater snails and a few terrestrial groups. They have undergone a series of major adaptive radiations, and exhibit great diversity in morphology, size, diet, reproduction, habit.
Most of the familiar marine snails are caenogastropds, including the whelks, periwinkles, cowries, cone shells, bailer shells, strombs, creepers, slipper limpets and ladder shells.
Their great diversity in species, morphology, habits and habitats, as well as their good fossil record, makes them an excellent group for the detailed investigation of evolutionary questions.
A ARC grant was received over two years which provided sufficient funding to undertake a molecular analysis of representative examples from the group. A phylogenetic analysis based on morphological data is being done jointly with Dr J. Healy, University of Queensland and Dr L. Simone, University of Säo Paulo. Dr J. Stillwell (James Cook University, Townsville) is compiling relevant fossil data for this project.
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