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Systematic relationships of Nematomorpha based on molecular and morphological data
Author(s) -
Bleidorn Christoph,
SchmidtRhaesa Andreas,
Garey James R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
invertebrate biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.486
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1744-7410
pISSN - 1077-8306
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2002.tb00136.x
Subject(s) - paraphyly , biology , monophyly , sister group , taxon , genus , zoology , 18s ribosomal rna , evolutionary biology , phylogenetics , phylogenetic tree , ecology , gene , genetics , clade
. We sequenced the 18S rRNA gene from 11 nematomorph species from 9 genera and derived hypotheses concerning the sister group of Nematomorpha and relationships within this taxon. The molecular and morphological data are consistent with the monophyly of Nematomorpha, a sister‐group relationship between Nematomorpha and Nematoda, and a sister‐group relationship between the marine genus Nectonema and all of the freshwater taxa, Gordiida. Hypotheses of relationships within Gordiida support the traditional taxa Gordiidae, Chordodidae, and Chordodinae but reject Parachordodinae and Spinochordodidae. The molecular results differ from those of previous morphological studies by suggesting a reduction of the two tail lobes at the posterior end of males in Chordodinae, monophyly of the genus Paragordionus , and paraphyly of the genus Chordodes .