Future trypanosomatid phylogenies: refined homologies, supertrees and networks

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz

Jr Stothard¹ 

[1],Natural History Museum Department of Zoology Biomedical Parasitology DivisionLondon,UK

关键词: gene trees;    characterization;    Trypanosoma;    Leishmania;    Crithidia;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0074-02762000000400014

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

There has been good progress in inferring the evolutionary relationships within trypanosomes from DNA data as until relatively recently, many relationships have remained rather speculative. Ongoing molecular studies have provided data that have adequately shown Trypanosoma to be monophyletic and, rather surprisingly, that there are sharply contrasting levels of genetic variation within and between the major trypanosomatid groups. There are still, however, areas of research that could benefit from further development and resolution that broadly fall upon three questions. Are the current statements of evolutionary homology within ribosomal small sub-unit genes in need of refinement? Can the published phylograms be expanded upon to form `supertrees' depicting further relationships? Does a bifurcating tree structure impose an untenable dogma upon trypanosomatid phylogeny where hybridisation or reticulate evolutionary steps have played a part? This article briefly addresses these three questions and, in so doing, hopes to stimulate further interest in the molecular evolution of the group.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
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