A molecular phylogeny of Buccinidae based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene suggested that Kelletia is a closely related to Penion, a whelk genus with extant species distributed in waters off of New Zealand and Australia.[6] Results of a further molecular phylogenetic studies using mitochondrial genomic and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data re-affirmed this relationship, and also demonstrated that Kelletia and Antarctoneptunea found in the southern Pacific and Southern oceans are closely related.[2][4][5] The common ancestor of the three genera most likely evolved in the southern Pacific Ocean, and a lineage leading to Kelletia dispersed over millions of years up the western coast of the Americas into the northern Pacific Ocean.[4] Radulae and opercula morphology is similar between Penion and Kelletia.[16]
Cladogram of Austrosiphonidae and Tudiclidae[4][2][5][6]
^ abcdVaux, Felix; Hills, Simon F.K.; Marshall, Bruce A.; Trewick, Steven A.; Morgan-Richards, Mary (2017). "A phylogeny of Southern Hemisphere whelks (Gastropoda: Buccinulidae) and concordance with the fossil record". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 114 (2017): 367–381. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.06.018. PMID28669812.
^ abcVaux, Felix; Crampton, James S.C.; Trewick, Steven A.; Marshall, Bruce A.; Beu, Alan G.; Hills, Simon F.K.; Morgan-Richards, Mary (2018). "Evolutionary lineages of marine snails identified using molecular phylogenetics and geometric morphometric analysis of shells". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127 (October 2018): 626–637. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.009. PMID29913310. S2CID49303166.
^ abcdeHayashi, S (2005). "The molecular phylogeny of the Buccinidae (Caenogastropoda: Neogastropoda) as inferred from the complete mitochondrial 16s rRNA gene sequences of selected representatives". Molluscan Research. 25: 85–98.
^ abOzaki, H (1954). "On the palaeontology of the basal conglommerate of Pliocene Tyoshi City, Kanto Region". Bulletin of the National Science Museum, Tokyo. 34: 9–21.
^Ogasawara, K. 2002. Cenozoic Gastropoda. In: Ikeya, N., Hirano, H., Ogasawara, K. eds. The database of Japanese fossil type specimens described during the 20th Century (Part 2). Palaeontological Society of Japan, Special Paper 40. University of Tokyo, Tokyo.
^ abHertlein, L.G. 1970. A new species of fossil Kelletia (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Lomita Marl, Late Cenozoic of San Pedro, California. Contributions in Science 190, 1 - 8.
^ abArnold, R. 1910. Paleontology of the Coalinga District, Fresno and Kings counties, California. United States Geological Survey Bulletin 396
^ abAddicott, W.O. 1970. Miocene gastropods and biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California. Geological Survey Professional Paper 642. United States Printing Office, Washington
^ abAnderson, F.M., Martin, B. 1914. Neocene Record in the Temblor Basin, California, and Neocene deposits of San Juan distinct, San Luis Obispo County. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 4, 15 - 122.
^ abKanakoff, G.P.. 1954. A new Kelletia from the Pliocene of California. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 52, 114 - 117.
^ abcOlsson, A.A., 1964. Neogene mollusks from northwestern Ecuador. Palaeontological Research Institution, Ithaca, New York, USA, 256.