Taxonomy of the Bivalvia (Bouchet, Rocroi, Bieler, Carter and Coan, 2010)

In May 2010, a new taxonomy of the Bivalvia was published in the journal Malacologia. This was a revised system for classifying bivalve mollusks such as clams, oysters, scallops, mussels and so on. In compiling this new taxonomy, the authors used a variety of phylogenetic information including molecular analysis, anatomical analysis, shell morphology and shell microstructure, as well as bio-geographic, paleobiogeographical and stratigraphic information.

In this classification, 324 families were recognized as valid. Of those, 214 are known exclusively as fossils. The remaining 110 families occur in the recent past, with or without a fossil record. This classification has since been adopted by WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species.