title: Phylogenetic Analyses Support Validity of Genus Eodinium (Ciliophora, Entodiniomorphida, Ophryoscolecidae).
abstract: The validity of genus Eodinium has been historically disputed due to morphological similarities with Diplodinium (absence of skeletal plates as well as adoral and dorsal ciliary zones at the same body level). To address this issue, the 18S rDNA of four Eodinium posterovesiculatum morphotypes and four Diplodinium anisacanthum morphotypes were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. The different inference methods suggest the existence of a last common ancestor of Eodinium and Ostracodinium that is not shared with Diplodinium, strongly supporting the validity of genus Eodinium. Since skeletal plates are present in all members of genus Ostracodinium, the most parsimonious is a secondary loss of skeletal plates in E. posterovesiculatum. This work represents a breakthrough in the taxonomy and phylogeny of the family Ophryoscolecidae indicating that the skeletal plates may not reflect evolutionary divergence within this group of ciliates as traditionally proposed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Protozoologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, CEP 36036-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Franciane
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cedrola
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Protozoologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, CEP 36036-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcus Vinicius Xavier
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Senra
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Protozoologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, CEP 36036-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Agosto
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Protozoologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, CEP 36036-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto Júnio Pedroso
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D002417:Cattle; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: 18S rDNA phylogeny; Litostomatea; Trichostomatia; ophryoscolecid ciliates; rumen