Dear Art,
 
There is no doubt that DNA analysis will find increasingly wider
usage, and there is also no doubt that the hardware will become
easier to use, but unfortunately that isn't likely to translate into
lower pricing.  The problem with these super-sophisticated high-tech
machines is that there is not sufficient demand for them to justify
mass production techniques.  It probably cost millions to develop the
new Volkswagen bug that is popping up everywhere - but they can
probably expect to sell a couple of million of them, so they can mass
produce them and offer them at a reasonable price.  It might cost just
as much to develop a new protein synthesizer or DNA sequencer, but
they might sell only a couple of hundred machines worldwide.  That's
why a device that sits on the bench and looks like a bread box with a
few knobs and lights attached might cost as much as 15 or 20
Volkswagens - it's how they recover the development and production
costs, plus profit of course.  Which is also one of many reasons for
the high cost of medical care.
 
Your question about the two similar Epitonium species raises an
interesting concept - that of so-called convergent evolution.
Usually similar species, widely separated geographically (and
therefore genetically) tend to become less and less alike over long
periods of time.  Such changes are referred to as divergent.
However, in relatively rare cases, geographically separated species
which were originally quite dissimilar accumulate changes over time
that result in their becoming increasingly similar in appearance.
Such changes are referred to as convergent.  Thus we can end up with
two species, sometimes in separate families, and living in different
parts of the world, which look very much like each other.  One
example is the species Astraea haematraga (family Turbinidae) and the
species Trochus saccelum rota (family Trochidae).  These two shells,
though members of different families, are so similar that it is
virtually impossible to tell them apart, unless you have the
opercula.  (Turbinidae have a calcareous or shelly operculum, while
Trochidae have a corneous or horny operculum.)  Or, unless you have a
DNA sequencer, and soft tissues from each specimen.  We also have
turrids and miters that look like Conus, Cancellarias and volutes
that look like miters, etc.  Any other good examples of this
phenomenon?
 
Regards,
Paul M.