title: Evolutionary plasticity in coccidia - striking morphological similarity of unrelated coccidia (apicomplexa) from related hosts: Eimeria spp. from African and Asian Pangolins (Mammalia: Pholidota).
abstract: Two morphologically similar, but phylogenetically unrelated Eimeria species from ancient mammals, African Tree Pangolin Phataginus tricuspis and Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica (Pholidota: Manidae), from two distant biogeographic realms (Afrotropical and Oriental), are characterized and compared morphologically and molecularly. Phylogenetic analyses produced an unstable topology. However, while precise position of the two Eimeria species from pangolins could not be firmly established due to the lack of related taxa, it is evident that they are not closely related and do not fall into any of the so far recognized eimerian lineages. Moreover, an eimerian found in P. tricuspis is described as a new species Eimeria nkaka n. sp., based on morphology of oocysts, endogenous developmental stages and sequence data.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. miloslav.jirku@seznam.cz
authors.forename: Miloslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jirků
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kvičerová
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Modrý
authors.forename: Václav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hypša
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004539:Eimeria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008322:Mammals / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D033661:Oocysts / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: 18S rDNA.; COI; ORF; SEM; endogenous development; phylogeny