Molecular evidence for Acanthocephala as a subtaxon of Rotifera |
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Authors: | James R Garey Thomas J Near Michael R Nonnemacher Steven A Nadler |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, 15282 Pittsburgh, PA, USA;(2) Center for Biodiversity, Illinois Natural History Survey, 61820 Champaign, IL, USA;(3) Department of Nematology, University of California, 95616-8668 CA, Davis, Davis, USA |
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Abstract: | Rotifers are free-living animals usually smaller than 1 mm that possess a characteristic wheel organ. Acanthocephalans (thorny-headed
worms) are larger endoparasitic animals that use vertebrates and arthropods to complete their life cycle. The taxa Acanthocephala
and Rotifera are considered separate phyla, often within the taxon Aschelminthes. We have reexamined the relationship between
Rotifera and Acanthocephala using 18S rRNA gene sequences. Our results conclusively show that Acanthocephala is the sister
group of the rotifer class Bdelloidea. Rotifera was nonmonophyletic in all molecular analyses, which supports the hypothesis
that the Acanthocephala represent a taxon within the phylum Rotifera and not a separate phylum. These results agree with a
previous cladistic study of morphological characters.
Correspondence to: J.R. Garey |
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Keywords: | Rotifers Acanthocephalans Bdelloidea Lemniscea |
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