About Animals: The Murky Matter of Sorting Molluscs

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Animals Animals Animal Facts Habitat Facts Animal Pictures From Laura Klappenbach, your Guide to Animals Welcome to the Animals / Wildlife Newsletter, a twice-weekly newsletter published every Monday and Thursday by About.com's Animals / Wildlife website. For more about animals and wildlife, be sure to stop by the blog, participate in forum discussions, and browse the growing library of animal profiles. The Murky Matter of Sorting Molluscs The classification of molluscs is in many ways a murky affair. Although scientists agree that all living molluscs are descended from a common ancestor--and therefore form a single, coherent group--their confidence in the finer details of mollusc classification fades quickly after that. See More About:  molluscs  invertebrates  No Shell? No Problem! - Meet the Aplacophorans Two oddball molluscan groups, the Caudofoveata and Solenogastres, are often clumped together for convenience in a group called the Aplacophora. It turns out, aplacophorans have enough similarities for this classification convenience to be useful. Generally speaking, aplacophorans are small, deep-water marine molluscs that live their life on the seafloor. See More About:  molluscs  invertebrates  Chitons - The Armadillos of the Mollusc World Chitons--one of about eight major groups of molluscs--are a bit like large, flat slugs. But chitons are better defended than slugs. Like armadillos, chitons are equipped with a series of plate-like armaments, which give them a tough shield against predators. See More About:  chitons  molluscs  invertebrates Bivalves - The Mirror Image Molluscs Among the various types of molluscs, the bivalves are pretty easy to spot thanks to their symmetry. Bivalves have a bilaterally symmetrical shell that consists of two pieces (or "valves") that are mirror images of each other. The two shell valves are attached along their back edge by a flexible ligament that functions as a hinge. See More About:  bivalves  molluscs  invertebrates Animals / Wildlife Ads Animals Sea Animals Pictures Wild Life Animals Animals in Africa Kenya Safari Animals Featured Articles Cetaceans - The Unexpected Ungulates Laos Zoo Welcomes Croc Hatchlings Bovidae - Cattle and Beyond Ruminants - Always Chewing the Cud Artiodactyls - It's All In Their Stomach The New Ungulates   More from About.com Food and Mood Indulging a sweet tooth can cause weight gain, guilt and even worsen depression. Here are a few expert tips to help you resist. More> Carb Cravings Ever wondered why you crave carbs (or chocolate and sugar) when you're depressed? Some scientists say it may be chemical. More> This newsletter is written by: Laura Klappenbach Animals Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Animals newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Animal Pictures Reptile Pictures Sea Turtle Pictures Komodo Dragon Pictures Advertisement