Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Pulmonata (Mollusca: Gastropoda) on the basis of Histone-3 gene

Background: In the present study, phylogenetic relationships within Heterobranchia in particular to Pulmonata were evaluated by means of Histone-3 (H3) gene sequence information. H3 gene is a slow evolving marker and is useful in resolving the deep level relationships. This is the first study to report the phylogeny of Pulmonata with more number of representatives from the group on the basis of H3 gene. Results: The major groups within Heterobranchia viz. Lower Heterobranchia, Opisthobranchia, and Pulmonata were non-monophyletic. A few of the pulmonate groups' viz. Planorbidae, Lymnaeidae, Siphonariidae, Veronicellidae, and Stylommatophora were recovered as monophyletic. The concepts of Eupulmonata and Geophila were not observed in the present study. Conclusions: The present study was undertaken with an objective to study the phylogeny of Pulmonata reconstructed on the basis of H3 gene and its ability to resolve the deeper divergences in Pulmonata. However, the resolution at the deeper nodes is limited. There is a good resolution at the level of genera. In the future, inclusion of more number of taxa with increased sequence length of H3 marker may yield resolved topologies that may shed more insights into the phylogeny of Pulmonata.