Conflicting Phylogenetic Studies (IMAGE) Vanderbilt University Caption Two recent high-profile phylogenetic studies reached conflicting conclusions about whether snail's closest relatives are bivalves or an enigmatic group called tusk shells. Vanderbilt phylogeneticists suggest that the cause of this conflict is that the three groups diverged rapidly a long time ago. Credit Antonis Rokas, Vanderbilt University Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.