Abstract. Despite the diversity and importance of Mollusca, evolutionary relationships among the eight major lineages have been a longstanding unanswered question in Malacology. Early molecular studies of deep molluscan phylogeny, largely based on nuclear ribosomal gene data, as well as morphological cladistic analyses largely failed to provide robust hypotheses of relationships among major lineages. However, three recent molecular phylogenetic studies employing different markers and more data have significantly advanced understanding of molluscan phylogeny by providing well-supported topologies and generally congruent results. Here, evolutionary relationships among the major lineages of Mollusca and implications of recent findings for understanding molluscan evolution are reviewed. Most notably, all three of the recent studies reviewed herein recovered a monophyletic Aculifera, a clade including Aplacophora (Neomeniomorpha + Chaetodermomorpha; worm-like molluscs) and Polyplacophora (chitons). This findin...