Integrating venom peptide libraries into a phylogenetic and broader biological framework

In this study, a library of venom peptides from species conventionally assigned to the genus Turris was correlated to a phylogenetic analysis. Nucleotide sequences of multiple genes from transcriptomes were used to assess the phylogenic relationships across a diverse set of species.

The resulting tree shows that as conventionally defined, the Conoidean genus Turris, is polyphyletic. We describe a new genus, Purpuraturris gen. nov., that comprises the outlier species. In addition to morphological distinctions, molecular data reveal that this group are more closely related to Unedogemmula and Turridrupa than to Turris sensu stricto.