Molecular Relationships between Closely Related Species
DNA/DNA hybridization has been carried out to establish the evolutionary relationships among sev-eral host-specific bothriocephalid tapeworms species (Cestoda: Platyhelminthes). Comparative anatomy is not informative for deciphering the relationships among these sibling morphological taxa, and clear...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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1996
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.549.1264 http://faculty.uml.edu/rhochberg/hochberglab/Courses/Parasite/PDF Papers/Cestoda/Bothriocephalus relationships.pdf |
| Summary: | DNA/DNA hybridization has been carried out to establish the evolutionary relationships among sev-eral host-specific bothriocephalid tapeworms species (Cestoda: Platyhelminthes). Comparative anatomy is not informative for deciphering the relationships among these sibling morphological taxa, and clearcut genetic differences have previously identified seven biological species which are each highly specific to a single host. We show that two species (Bothriocephalus gregarius and B. renaudii) infesting the same host (turbot: Psetta maxima) in two different geographic areas are not sister-taxa. Moreover, a strong decrease in theamount ofDNAchange is observed inone species of tapeworm, documenting amarked heterogeneity of rates of nucleotidic substitution among these very closely re-lated organisms. Based on these observations, different hypotheses are developed for understanding the evolu-tionary history of this assemblage of parasites, suggest-ing that host-switching has played an important role in the recent past. r 1997 Academic Press |
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