Molecular data provide new insights on the phylogeny of the Conoidea (Neogastropoda)

The superfamily Conoidea is one of the most speciose groups of marine molluscs, with almost 700 genera and 10,000 living species. Previous classifications were based on morphological and anatomical characters, but clades and phylogenetic relationships were not well assessed. Information provided by one mitochondrial (COI) and three nuclear (28S, 18S, and H3) genes were used to infer the phylogeny of this group. Data were obtained from more than 100 specimens, belonging to 54 genera, collected during recent cruises in the western Pacific (Philippines, Vanuatu, Norfolk Ridge, and Chesterfield and Solomon Islands). Analyses were performed on each gene independendy as well as for a data matrix where all genes were concatenated, using several methods (ML, Parsimony, Bayesian). Some families and subfamilies among Conoidea correspond to well-supported clades uniformly recovered with all genes and all methods, but others appear to be polyphyletic. Several bathyal and abyssal genera are also shown to be polyphyletic. Our results also point out some new phylogenetic relationships at the family, subfamily, and genus levels.