A Molecular Phylogeny of the Mollusca

软体动物是当今世界上种类最多、数量最多的动物之一。由于缺乏关于软体动物纲之间的确切关系和祖先的信息，人们对这一群体在形式和栖息地多样化的方式的理解受到阻碍。环线粒体DNA分子周围的37个基因的位置将根据解剖特征从软体动物和其他被认为与软体动物有关的类别的代表中确定。这些位置将通过对研究中每种动物的线粒体分子选定区域的DNA测序来确定。这些数据将与研究中每种动物线粒体分子选定区域的DNA核苷酸测序相结合。这些数据将与几个保守的编码蛋白质的线粒体基因的DNA核苷酸序列数据结合起来，以便准确地了解这些动物是如何相关的。这种方法使用了来自两个不同分子水平的数据，在研究真正古老的动物辐射时是合适的。这项研究的结果将为第一次清楚地分析软体动物的形态、多样性和生态趋势奠定基础。

The molluscs are one of the most diverse and abundant groups of animals in the world today. An understanding of the manner in which this group has diversified in form and habitat is hampered by the lack of information concerning the precise relationships and ancestry among the molluscan classes. The positions of the thirty- seven genes around the circular mitochondrial DNA molecule will be determined from representatives of the classes of molluscs and other animals believed to be related to molluscs on the basis of anatomical characters. These positions will be determined by DNA sequencing of selected regions of the mitochondrial molecule for each of the animals in the study. This data will be combined with DNA nucleotide sequencing of selected regions of the mitochondrial molecule for each of the animals in the study. This data will be combined with DNA nucleotide sequence data from several of the conserved protein-coding mitochondrial genes in order to understand precisely how these animals are related. This approach, using data from two different molecular levels, is appropriate when studying truly ancient radiations of animals. The results of this study will form the basis for the first clear analysis of trends in the form, diversity, and ecology of the molluscs.