Platyhelminthes or just Platyhelminth-like? Phylogenetic relationships of the main turbellarian groups

Authors

  • Piter Kehoma Boll Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Ilana Rossi Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Silvana Vargas do Amaral Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Simone Machado de Oliveira Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Eliara Solange Müller Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Virginia Silva Lemos Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Ana Maria Leal-Zanchet Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/nbc.2013.81.06

Abstract

The phylum Platyhelminthes has been traditionally subdivided into four classes, viz. Turbellaria, Trematoda, Monogenea e Cestoda. However, phylogenetic analyses indicated that the class Turbellaria was not well defined due to the lack of clear synapomorphies. Those studies were initially performed on the basis of morphological data. They indicated that the phylum Platyhelminthes encompasses three monophyletic groups: Acoelomorpha, Catenulida and Rhabditophora. Molecular analyses, as well as studies combining morphological and molecular data, have indicated that the acoelomorphs are not members of the Platyhelminthes. This article is intended to discuss the phylogenetic relationships of the main groups comprising the turbellarians based on morphological and molecular characters, as well as the position of acoelomorphs in relation to other invertebrates.

Key words: acoels, catenulids, rhabditophorans, phylogeny, invertebrates.

Author Biographies

Piter Kehoma Boll, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Instituto de Pesquisa de Planárias, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Undergraduate Researcher

Ilana Rossi, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Silvana Vargas do Amaral, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Simone Machado de Oliveira, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Eliara Solange Müller, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Virginia Silva Lemos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Ana Maria Leal-Zanchet, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

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Published

2013-02-18

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2013): January/April

Section

Review Article

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