Molecular phylogeny of Caudofoveata (Mollusca) challenges traditional views

The shell-less, worm-shaped Caudofoveata (=Chaetodermomorpha) is one of the least known groups of molluscs. The taxon consists of 141 recognized species found from intertidal environments to the deep-sea where they live burrowing in sediment. Evolutionary relationships of the group have been debated, but few studies based on morphological or molecular data have investigated the phylogeny of the group. Here we use molecular phylogenetics to resolve relationships among and within families of Caudofoveata. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using selected mitochondrial and nuclear genes from species from all recognized families of Caudofoveata. In resulting trees and contrary to traditional views, Prochaetodermatidae forms the sister clade to a clade containing the other two currently recognized families, Chaetodermatidae and Limifossoridae. The monophyly of Prochaetodermatidae is highly supported, but Limifossoridae and Chaetodermatidae are not recovered as monophyletic. Most of the caudofoveate genera are also not recovered as monophyletic in our analyses. Thus results from our molecular data suggest that the current classification of Caudofoveata is in need of revision, and indicate evolutionary scenarios that differ from previously proposed hypotheses based on morphology.