| Conchifera Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Subphylum: | Conchifera Gegenbaur, 1878 |
| Classes | |
Conchifera is a subphylum of the phylum Mollusca, containing five extant classes: Monoplacophora, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Scaphopoda. [1] [2] Conchiferans can bear a single shell as in snails and ammonites, a single pair of shells as in clams, or lack a shell as in slugs and squid. The other subphylum is Aculifera, the members of which are shellless or have a row of several plates. Non-monoplacophoran conchiferans emerged within the once-widespread Monoplacophora. The only descendant which retains its ancestral shape is the Tryblidiida. [ clarification needed ]
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The monophyly of Conchifera is supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis. [1] The relationships among the members of Conchifera are disputed. [1] A grouping of Scaphopoda and Bivalvia, named Diasoma, has been proposed, [3] [4] but other studies find scaphopods to be more closely related to cephalopods [5] or gastropods. [1]
Conchifera originated in the early Cambrian period. [1] [4]
