Outgroup Representatives Research Articles

Emotional attitude and motives of dislike as predictors of discriminatory attitudes

The emotional attitude towards outgroup representatives may differ depending on the target of discrimination. Establishing the role of emotional relationships and the motivation of dislike in adherence to certain combined types of discriminatory attitudes will contribute to the development of measures to counteract them. The aim of the study is to establish emotional attitudes towards representatives of outgroups and the motives of dislike, which are predictors of discriminatory attitudes. The study involved 190 people of both sexes (men — 36.6%), aged 20–40 years. The survey methods of direct and indirect assessment of discriminatory attitudes, affective reactions towards representatives of discriminated groups, motives of dislike, methods of mathematical data processing (descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyses, modeling method) were used. The combination of forms of emotional attitude and motivation in the prediction of types of discriminatory attitudes, as well as direct and indirect effects of emotional relationships on generalized forms of discriminatory attitudes, has been revealed. Anger and anxiety act as emotional attitudes towards representatives of outgroups, causing a general discriminatory attitude, while interest and disgust contribute to its reduction. The predictors of discriminatory attitudes towards socially vulnerable groups are fear (positive), interest and pity (negative); dissident groups — anger and fear; outsider groups — anger and disgust; social status groups — irritation and aggression (positive), disgust and interest (negative). The strongest motivational predictors of discriminatory attitudes are the motivation of competition in the labor market in the case of dissident, socially-status and even socially unprotected groups, as well as hostility based on an emotional attitude in the case of dissident and socially-outsider groups. Various emotional attitudes and motivations of rejection towards outgroup representatives explain a significant part of the dispersion of generalized forms of discriminatory attitudes. Generalized discriminatory attitudes are characterized by heterogeneous emotional conditioning and polymotivation.

Refugees at the gates. Vicarious contact and collective action for a disadvantaged group

Past studies demonstrated that vicarious contact (i.e., observing interactions between ingroup and outgroup representatives) affects outgroup-directed attitudes. This research sought to examine whether and, if so, how negative and positive vicarious contact with refugees influence host society’s members' collective action for this disadvantaged group. Two online experiments (total N = 1328) were conducted in the context of the Poland-Belarus border crisis. Participants watched a short video clip presenting an interaction between ingroup representatives (i.e., Poles) and refugees from the Middle East or Africa trying to enter Poland via Belarus. The valence of the interaction differed between experimental conditions. Both studies showed that negative vicarious contact increased participants’ levels of intergroup anxiety, which then predicted lower collective action for refugees. On the other hand, positive vicarious contact decreased intergroup anxiety as well as increased outgroup-directed empathy and collective action in Study 1 but not in Study 2. The results support the notion that negative representations of ingroup-outgroup interactions in the traditional and social media affect host societies’ members attitudes toward refugees and their willingness to engage for this group.

Why do outsiders commend us? Reactions to group-based praise concerning morality or competence

In intergroup contexts, praise is important to encourage the members of a group to keep the desired behaviors and seems to be generally well-accepted. However, there is some evidence that, under specific conditions, recipients are more suspicious of praise delivered from outgroup rather than ingroup members. The current study (N = 126, university students) examined how people responded to ingroup and outgroup praise that concerned different dimensions (morality vs. competence). Although morality is considered the most important dimension in group evaluation, recipients of morality praise judged it as less pleasant and less sincere and attributed less benevolent motives to the speaker when the speaker was an outgroup (vs. ingroup) member. These findings contribute to the knowledge on responses to group-directed praise, suggesting that outgroup representatives should be careful about the dimension of praise if they wish the praise to be accepted.

From Complexity to Clarity

From Complexity to Clarity

Evolutionary shifts in fruit dispersal syndromes in Apiaceae tribe Scandiceae

Apiaceae tribe Scandiceae includes species with diverse fruits that depending upon their morphology are dispersed by gravity, carried away by wind, or transported attached to animal fur or feathers. This diversity is particularly evident in Scandiceae subtribe Daucinae, a group encompassing species with wings or spines developing on fruit secondary ribs. In this paper, we explore fruit evolution in 86 representatives of Scandiceae and outgroups to assess adaptive shifts related to the evolutionary switch between anemochory and epizoochory and to identify possible dispersal syndromes, i.e., patterns of covariation of morphological and life-history traits that are associated with a particular vector. We also assess the phylogenetic signal in fruit traits. Principal component analysis of 16 quantitative fruit characters and of plant height did not clearly separate species having different dispersal strategies as estimated based on fruit appendages. Only presumed anemochory was weakly associated with plant height and the flattening of mericarps with their accompanying anatomical changes. We conclude that in Scandiceae, there are no distinct dispersal syndromes, but a continuum of fruit morphologies relying on different dispersal vectors. Phylogenetic mapping of ten discrete fruit characters on trees inferred by nrDNA ITS and cpDNA sequence data revealed that all are homoplastic and of limited use for the delimitation of genera. Spines evolved from wings developing on secondary ribs. We hypothesize that spines cannot form on primary ribs because these contain vascular bundles that may constrain such a transformation. We describe a new subtribe for Artedia and propose three new combinations in Daucus.

Beyond actions: Reparatory effects of regret in intergroup trust games

Intergroup trust is vital for cooperation and societal well-being, but is harder to establish than interpersonal trust. We investigate whether expressions of negative emotions, in particular regret, following economic decisions can shape intergroup trust. In each of three studies participants were members of a group playing a two-round trust game with another group. In the first round, they observed an outgroup member who acted fairly or unfairly towards the ingroup and then expressed positive (i.e., happiness) or negative (i.e., regret, unhappiness) emotions about this behavior. In the second round, participants played with another outgroup member. Emotions displayed by the outgroup representative following unfair behavior in round 1 influenced participants' allocations in round 2, which were higher following regret and unhappiness than following positive emotions. Thus, emotions expressed by one outgroup member affected interactions with other members who had not communicated emotions. Findings of Study 3 revealed that these effects were driven by regret increasing intergroup trust, rather than by happiness decreasing it. Moreover, participants' allocations were predicted by their perceptions of the extent to which the outgroup representative wished to change her behavior. Together, the findings reveal that regret expressions influence intergroup trust by attenuating the detrimental effects of unfair behavior.

The genus Leucophenga (Diptera, Drosophilidae), part VIII: twenty-one species from the Oriental region, with morphological and molecular evidence.

Twenty-one (six known and 15 new) species of the genus Leucophenga from the Oriental region are described or redescribed: L. jacobsoni Duda, 1926; L. kurahashii Okada, 1987; L. setipalpis Duda, 1923; L. sorii Kang, Lee Bhang, 1965; L. spinifera Okada, 1987; L. varinervis Duda, 1923; L. acantha Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. alafumosa Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. brevipenis Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. brevitabulata Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. delta Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. forcipula Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. fuscipalpula Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. glabtabulata Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. helvipecta Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. hyaloptera Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. oxyptera Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. platypyga Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. serrateiceps Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. valvata Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. zebrina Huang Chen, sp. nov. A key and a morphological summary table to all these Leucophenga species are provided. Phylogenetic relationships among these 21 Leucophenga species, another 14 congeneric, known species from seven groups, and two representative outgroup taxa are reconstructed using 169 DNA sequences of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene. In sum, 13 of the 21 Leucophenga species, which possess the only diagnostic character of the proxima species group (abdominal third tergite shortened, anteriorly discolored in males), are not monophyletic. Therefore, all the Leucophenga species described or redescribed in this study are temporarily classified as unplaced species (except for L. sorii, which has been assigned to the sorii species group) to avoid further confusion.

Molecular phylogeny of marine mites (Acariformes: Halacaridae), the oldest radiation of extant secondarily marine animals

The family Halacaridae comprises more than one thousand mostly marine or rarely freshwater species. Many are predacious, but among marine mites, some genera evolved the ability to feed on macroalgae. We inferred a time-calibrated phylogeny based on 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and Cytochrome oxidase I (5,143 nt aligned) and all non-monotypic halacarid subfamilies plus a representative outgroup set (72 taxa). The family Halacaridae was rendered as the sister-group of Parasitengona, diverging 321.5, 264.0–381.3 Ma and radiating 271.3, 221.7–324.2 Ma (median, HPD). Thus, marine mites represent the oldest known extant animal lineage that secondarily invaded the sea, with the marine turtles being the second oldest such lineage (crown group 212.3, 194.9–231.4 Ma). Two freshwater mite lineages, represented by Limnohalacarus (219.2, 165.9–274.6) and Porohalacarus (175.3, 118.5–233.1), were inferred mutually non-monophyletic, suggesting two independent invasions to freshwater. The conventional subfamily Rhombognathinae (macroalgae feeders) was not recovered as monophyletic, with Metarhombognathus-Rhombognathides, restricted to the Northern Hemisphere, originating 177.5, 134.8–223.3 Ma and diversifying 88.3, 32.7–152.3 Ma. This is congruent to a previous hypothesis of their northern origin prior to the opening of the Norwegian Sea (58 Ma). Our phylogeny indicates the need for reclassification of the traditional subfamilies and suggests that previous molecular results (e.g., Rhombognathus deeply nested in Copidognathinae) is an analytical artifact due to a chimeric sequence.

The Problem of Strangeness in Political Ideology and Rhetoric of Alternative for Germany and German Identitarian Movement

This article aims at analysing the problem of strangeness, fear of and hostility towards representatives of out-groups (namely: foreigners) observed within the extreme right. In the first part it summons up the current state of research on this topic. Then the article presents the political and social context of today’s Germany, in light of the so called migration crisis, considering whether the “foreigners’ issue” is supported by the actual numbers. Last but not least, it analyses actual political demands of two far right groupings: a political party Alternative for Germany and the Identitarian Movement. Placing them in the wider global trend, it suggests that the issue of strangeness might have become the most important characteristics of the extreme right.

Mammalian Comparative Genomics Reveals Genetic and Epigenetic Features Associated with Genome Reshuffling in Rodentia.

Understanding how mammalian genomes have been reshuffled through structural changes is fundamental to the dynamics of its composition, evolutionary relationships between species and, in the long run, speciation. In this work, we reveal the evolutionary genomic landscape in Rodentia, the most diverse and speciose mammalian order, by whole-genome comparisons of six rodent species and six representative outgroup mammalian species. The reconstruction of the evolutionary breakpoint regions across rodent phylogeny shows an increased rate of genome reshuffling that is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than in other mammalian species here considered. We identified novel lineage and clade-specific breakpoint regions within Rodentia and analyzed their gene content, recombination rates and their relationship with constitutive lamina genomic associated domains, DNase I hypersensitivity sites and chromatin modifications. We detected an accumulation of protein-coding genes in evolutionary breakpoint regions, especially genes implicated in reproduction and pheromone detection and mating. Moreover, we found an association of the evolutionary breakpoint regions with active chromatin state landscapes, most probably related to gene enrichment. Our results have two important implications for understanding the mechanisms that govern and constrain mammalian genome evolution. The first is that the presence of genes related to species-specific phenotypes in evolutionary breakpoint regions reinforces the adaptive value of genome reshuffling. Second, that chromatin conformation, an aspect that has been often overlooked in comparative genomic studies, might play a role in modeling the genomic distribution of evolutionary breakpoints.

Proline as a fuel for insect flight: enhancing carbohydrate oxidation in hymenopterans.

Bees are thought to be strict users of carbohydrates as metabolic fuel for flight. Many insects, however, have the ability to oxidize the amino acid proline at a high rate, which is a unique feature of this group of animals. The presence of proline in the haemolymph of bees and in the nectar of plants led to the hypothesis that plants may produce proline as a metabolic reward for pollinators. We investigated flight muscle metabolism of hymenopteran species using high-resolution respirometry performed on permeabilized muscle fibres. The muscle fibres of the honeybee, Apis mellifera, do not have a detectable capacity to oxidize proline, as those from the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, used here as an outgroup representative. The closely related bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, can oxidize proline alone and more than doubles its respiratory capacity when proline is combined with carbohydrate-derived substrates. A distant wasp species, Vespula vulgaris, exhibits the same metabolic phenotype as the bumblebee, suggesting that proline oxidation is common in hymenopterans. Using a combination of mitochondrial substrates and inhibitors, we further show that in B. impatiens, proline oxidation provides reducing equivalents and electrons directly to the electron transport system. Together, these findings demonstrate that some bee and wasp species can greatly enhance the oxidation of carbohydrates using proline as fuel for flight.

Bounded Benefits of Representative Cooperativeness in Intergroup Negotiations

Although cooperation among representatives in intergroup negotiation can improve intergroup relations, when cooperation in such competitive settings is attributed to strategic goals of the outgroup, it may actually harm intergroup relations. Here we investigate the possibility that representative’s characteristics (prototypicality and competence) determine whether an outgroup representative’s cooperation (as opposed to competition) improves or harms intergroup relations. Study 1 showed that a cooperative outgroup representative (compared to a competitive representative) produced more favorable perceptions of the entire outgroup, and triggered constructive behavioral tendencies towards the outgroup when the outgroup representative was seen as prototypical, yet decreased such constructive tendencies when the representative was seen as peripheral. Study 2 showed that the outgroup representative’s cooperation triggered constructive behavioral tendencies only when the representative appeared as low in competence; when high in competence, the positive effect of representative cooperativeness on trust and constructive behavioral tendencies was mitigated. Implications for representative negotiation and intergroup relations are discussed.

The Morphology And Phylogeny Of Dionychan Spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae)

A phylogenetic analysis of the two-clawed spiders grouped in Dionycha is presented, with 166 representative species of 49 araneomorph families, scored for 393 characters documented through standardized imaging protocols. The study includes 44 outgroup representatives of the main clades of Araneomorphae, and a revision of the main morphological character systems. Novel terminology is proposed for stereotyped structures on the chelicerae, and the main types of setae and silk spigots are reviewed, summarizing their characteristics. Clear homologs of posterior book lungs are described for early instars of Filistatidae, and a novel type of respiratory structure, the epigastric median tracheae, is described for some terminals probably related with Anyphaenidae or Eutichuridae. A new type of crypsis mechanism is described for a clade of thomisids, which in addition to retaining soil particles, grow fungi on their cuticle. Generalized patterns of cheliceral setae and macrosetae are proposed as synapomorphies of the Divided Cribellum and RTA clades. Dionycha is here proposed as a member of the Oval Calamistrum clade among the lycosoid lineages, and Liocranoides, with three claws and claw tufts, is obtained as a plausible sister group of the dionychan lineage. The morphology of the claw tuft and scopula is examined in detail and scored for 14 characters highly informative for relationships. A kind of seta intermediate between tenent and plumose setae (the pseudotenent type) is found in several spider families, more often reconstructed as a derivation from true tenent setae rather than as a phylogenetic intermediate. Corinnidae is retrieved in a restricted sense, including only the subfamilies Corinninae and Castianeirinae, while the “corinnid” genera retaining the median apophysis in the copulatory bulb are not clearly affiliated to any of the established families. Miturgidae is redefined, including Zoridae as a junior synonym. The Eutichuridae is raised to family status, as well as the Trachelidae and Phrurolithidae. New synapomorphies are provided for Sparassidae, Philodromidae, and Trachelidae. Philodromidae is presented as a plausible sister group of Salticidae, and these sister to Thomisidae; an alternative resolution placing thomisids in Lycosoidea is also examined. The Oblique Median Tapetum (OMT) clade is proposed for a large group of families including gnaphosoids, trachelids, liocranids, and phrurolithids, all having the posterior median eye tapeta forming a 90° angle, used for navigation by means of the polarized light in the sky as an optical compass; prodidomines seem to have further enhanced the mechanism by incorporating the posterior lateral eyes to the system. The Teutamus group is recognized for members of the OMT clade that are usually included in Liocranidae, but not closely related to Liocranum or phrurolithids. The Claw Tuft Clasper (CTC) clade is proposed for a group of families within the OMT clade, all having a peculiar mechanism grasping the folded base of the claw tuft setae with a hook on the superior claws. The CTC clade includes Trachelidae, Phrurolithidae, and several gnaphosoids such as Ammoxenidae, Cithaeronidae, Gnaphosidae, and Prodidomidae. A remarkable syndrome involving the expansion of the anterior lateral spinnerets, often sexually dimorphic, is here reported for some Miturgidae and several members of the CTC clade, in addition to the known cases in Clubionidae and “Liocranidae.” The following genera are transferred from Miturgidae to Eutichuridae: Calamoneta, Calamopus, Cheiracanthium, Cheiramiona, Ericaella, Eutichurus, Macerio, Radulphius, Strotarchus, Summacanthium, and Tecution; Lessertina is transferred from Corinnidae to Eutichuridae. The following genera are transferred to Miturgidae: Argoctenus, Elassoctenus, Hestimodema, Hoedillus, Israzorides, Odomasta, Simonus, Thasyraea, Tuxoctenus, Voraptus, Xenoctenus, Zora, and Zoroides, from Zoridae; Odo and Paravulsor, from Ctenidae; Pseudoceto f

Phylogenetic relationships among genera of the tribe Cnephasiini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Tortricinae) based on morphological characters of adults

A phylogenetic analysis was conducted on the moth tribe Cnephasiini based on 83 morphological characters of adults (63 binary and 20 multistate). The analysis included 26 species representing 20 genera, plus two outgroup representatives of the tribe Tortricini. The cladistic analysis resulted in the 10 most parsimonious trees. The tribe Cnephasiini was recovered as monophyletic; the genus Cnephasia was not recovered as monophyletic; the New World Decodes clustered with the primarily Old World Cnephasia; Oxypteron is best treated as monotypic (with the single species palmoni), and Amphicoecia adamana, Oporopsamma dunaria and O. wertheimsteini should be assigned to a different genus; Propriomorpha and Xerocnephasia were the most basal groups; Exapate duratella and Epicnephasia mongolica were recognised as sister-groups; and Kawabeia was closest to Tortricodes.

Competitive representative negotiations worsen intergroup relations

Representative negotiation affords a unique opportunity to regulate intergroup competition and conflict. Although past research has identified factors that shape representative negotiations, little is known about how such interpersonal representative negotiations influence broader intergroup relations. Here we investigate how the representative negotiation process can affect intergroup relations, irrespective of negotiation outcomes. In Experiment 1, competitive (as opposed to cooperative or neutral) communication by the outgroup representative decreased satisfaction with the outcome and increased outgroup derogation. In Experiment 2, the timing of the competitive behavior of the outgroup representative was shown to affect ensuing intergroup relations, such that early rather than late competition led to higher outcome satisfaction because of reduced outcome expectations, but also decreased trust in and perceived closeness of the outgroup. Together, these findings show that competitive behavior, especially early rather than late in the representative negotiation process increases outcome satisfaction, but hurts intergroup relations, regardless of the actual negotiation outcome.

Social Identity and the Nature of Electoral Representation

In a laboratory experiment, we explore the effects of group identities on the principal-agent relationship between voters and representatives. In an adverse selection framework with observable effort, voters can choose to condition their re-election choices on representatives' effort alone, beliefs about representatives' competence, or both of those jointly. We show that inducing social identities increases the weight of representatives' effort in voters' re-election decisions. Further, when voters and representatives share a social identity, representatives tend to invest less effort and their effort is independent of their competence. In contrast, representatives compensate for lower competence with higher effort and reduce effort when voters are likely to perceive them as competent. Voters often adopt laxer retention standards for representatives who are fellow group members and are responsive to evidence of other-regardingness from out-group representatives, but some voters actively resist treating representatives with shared identity more favorably and overcorrect as a consequence.

Genetic Analysis and Captive Breeding Program Design for the Eastern Massasauga Sistrurus catenatus catenatus

Abstract The eastern massasauga Sistrurus catenatus catenatus is a declining species for which a captive breeding program was established in 2006. To effectively manage wild and captive populations, an understanding of genetic diversity within the species is necessary. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA sequences of 186 individuals: 109 wild snakes from 34 U.S. and Canadian counties and districts, all 52 breeding program members (23 of known and 29 of unknown origin), 18 other captives of unknown origin, and 7 outgroup representatives of desert massasauga S. c. edwardsii, and western massasauga, S. c. tergeminus. Statistical parsimony, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony analyses all identified eastern massasaugas as divergent from western and desert massasaugas. We found 18 different haplotypes among eastern massasaugas, comprising three geographically and genetically differentiated NADH dehydrogenase II (ND2) subunits that potentially reflect post-Pleistocene range expansion from unglaciated into formerly glaciated regions. Snakes of unknown origin could all be assigned unambiguously to these ND2 subunits. To maintain natural genetic variation, preserve diversity in captive lineages, and allow future augmentation or reintroduction, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is managing these three geographic ND2 subunits separately within the Eastern Massasauga Species Survival Plan breeding program.

On being peripheral and paying attention: Prototypicality and information processing in intergroup conflict.

Intergroup conflicts are ubiquitous-they occur, for instance, between (work)groups, departments, organizations, political parties, or nations. Such conflicts are commonly addressed through negotiations, in which representatives negotiate on behalf of their constituency. Intergroup negotiations are complex, as representatives need to navigate between the interests of their own constituency and the other party. This implies that negotiation success requires careful processing of information about both parties' interests. Here, we examine how representative negotiators' motivation to engage in such thorough information processing is influenced by their position in the group. Whereas prototypical representatives feel secure about their membership, peripheral representatives have a less certain position. We propose that peripheral representatives are therefore more attentive and responsive to information that may be relevant to the negotiation than prototypical representatives, but only when they are accountable to their constituents. Data from 4 experiments showed that peripheral representatives reported higher information-processing motivation (Experiment 1), bought and recalled more information (Experiment 2), exhibited greater sensitivity to emotional expressions of the outgroup representative (Experiment 3), and attained more integrative ("win-win") agreements (Experiment 4) than prototypical representatives, but only when they were accountable. The findings are discussed in relation to theorizing on group dynamics, motivated information processing, emotion, and intergroup conflict, and practical implications are considered.

Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae)

The genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 is revised, with redescriptions of most previously known species and descriptionsof 36 new species. With now 55 species, Smeringopus becomes the most species-rich pholcid genus in Africa.Smeringopus is largely restricted to central, southern, and eastern Africa, where it includes some of the largest and mostconspicuous pholcid spiders in the region. A first cladistic analysis of Smeringopus, including outgroup representatives ofall other genera of Smeringopinae, strongly suggests that the central and western African Smeringopina Kraus, 1957 isthe sister taxon of Smeringopus. Smeringopus is here divided into twelve operational species groups, most of which arecharacterized by putative synapomorphies and by specific geographic distributions. Three species are newly synonymizedwith S. pallidus (Blackwall, 1858): S. excavatus (Simon, 1877); S. pholcicus Strand, 1907; and S. buehleri Schenkel, 1944.Smeringopus madagascariensis Millot, 1946 is newly synonymized with S. carli Lessert, 1915. Crossoprizacylindrogaster Simon, 1907 is transferred to Smeringopus. The following new species are described: S. badplaas; S. blyde;S. bujongolo; S. butare; S. bwindi; S. chibububo; S. chogoria; S. dehoop; S. dundo; S. florisbad; S. hanglip; S. harare; S.isangi; S. kalomo; S. katanga; S. koppies; S. lotzi; S. lubondai; S. luki; S. lydenberg; S. mayombe; S. mgahinga; S. mlilwane;S. moxico; S. mpanga; S. ndumo; S. ngangao; S. oromia; S. principe; S. ruhiza; S. saruanle; S. sederberg; S. tombua; S. turkana; S. ubicki; S. uisib.

Additional gene data and increased sampling give new insights into the phylogenetic relationships of Neogastropoda, within the caenogastropod phylogenetic framework

Neogastropoda, a highly diversified group of predatory marine snails, has often been contradicted in molecular phylogenetic studies. This is partly the consequence of limited neogastropod taxa or outgroups analyzed or insufficient gene sequences employed. This paper reports the most extensive molecular study of the group published to date with increased neogastropod taxa, multiple representatives of caenogastropod outgroups, and additional gene sequences. Data were collected from the entire 18S rRNA, histone H3, and three partial mitochondrial genes. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses were conducted. In the caenogastropod phylogenetic framework, Hypsogastropoda was contradicted owing to the inclusion of Cerithioidea. Contrary to previous molecular studies, all the results recovered Neogastropoda as a monophyletic group, which confirms the monophyly of Neogastropoda and the validity of morphological synapomorphies that usually define Neogastropoda as monophyletic. Tonnoidea was shown to be paraphyletic with respect to Ficidae, and together this group formed a monophyletic clade as the sister group to Neogastropoda, which supported the “high mesogastropod” hypothesis of the origin of Neogastropoda. All neogastropod families were strongly supported except Buccinidae, Turridae and Cancellariidae. Our results shed light on the status of Neogastropoda, a controversial group, within Caenogastropoda.