Recognising and defining new crown clades in Stromboidea Rafinesque, 1815 (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

Abstract

This paper defines the new crown clades Neoxenophoroidae new clade and Neoaporrhaoidae new clade to separate the Neostromboidae, which contains Strombidae Rafinesque, 1815, Rostellariidae Gabb, 1868, and Seraphsidae Gray, 1853, from their sister families Aporrhaidae Gray, 1850, Struthiolariidae Gabb, 1868 and Xenophoridae Troschel, 1852. There is significant value to understanding evolutionary processes within Stromboidea from the positioning of the eye and cephalic tentacles. Similarly, separation of the Aporrhaidae and Struthiolariidae and Xenophoridae based on terminal growth form highlights the evolutionary divergence of these three families. These differences represent organisms with divergent and independent evolutionary life histories and the recognition of these within the nomenclature to bring meaning to the way we name things.