Conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses for the parasitic platyhelminths tested by partial sequencing of 18S ribosomal RNA.
Partial sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA in nine parasitic and one free-living species of platyhelminth was used to test hypotheses on the phylogenetic relationships among the major groups. The eucestodes, amphilinideans, gyrocotylideans and monopisthocotylideans appeared as a monophyletic assemblage in a cladistic analysis of the data, with a very close association between the gyrocotylideans and monopisthocotylideans. The polyopisthocotylidean monogeneans were paraphyletic to the monopisthocotylideans. The digeneans appeared to be a sister group to the monogeneans and eucestodes, while the temnocephalidean was closely related to the free-living polyclad.
Baverstock
P R
PR
School of Resource Science and Management, University of New England, New South Wales, Australia.
Fielke
R
R
Johnson
A M
AM
Bray
R A
RA
Beveridge
I
I
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010986:Platyhelminths / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000737:chemistry*
D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S