Mollusca, the second largest animal phylum that boasts a fossil record of over 540 million years, includes the bivalves, gastropods, and cephalopods. This study treats each taxon and supplies information as well as overviews of its evolution and phylogeny using data from morphological, ultrastructural, molecular, developmental, and fossil records.
"Ponder and Lindberg provides a breathtaking overview of the evolutionary history of the Mollusca, effectively melding information from anatomy, ecology, genomics, and paleobiology to explore the depths of molluscan phylogeny. Its outstanding success is due to thoughtful planning, focused complementary contributions from 36 expert authors, and careful editing. This volume is a must for malacologists."-Bruce Runnegar, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
"Our understanding of the phylogeny and evolutionary history of the mollusca has been revolutionized over the past two decades through new molecular data and analysis, and reinvestigation of morphological characters. In this volume Ponder, Lindberg, and their colleagues do a wonderful job of integrating this work to provide new perspectives on the relationships of the major molluscan clades, their evolutionary dynamics, and their history. Particularly timely is the coverage of molluscan evo-devo and genomics."-Douglas H. Erwin, Curator of Paleozoic Invertebrates, National Museum of Natural History
"The book has been carefully edited and is rich in high-quality figures. . . . A standard reference for evolutionary ecologists over the next decade."
