This study examines amphipod phylogeny based on small subunit (18S) rDNA sequence data. Complete sequences of 25 species representing six families were used to test the phylogenetic information content of this gene for reconstruction of amphipod phylogeny. The alignment proved to be informative for most of the studied taxa. The monophyly of the families Gammaridae, Crangonyctidae, Niphargidae and Oedicerotidae is supported. The Melitidae are not monophyletic in the reconstructed topologies, but weak molecular evidence for the monophyly of this group could be observed in spectra of supporting positions. A close relationship of Gammaridae+Melitidae or Gammaridae+Crangonyctidae is not supported, rather there are supporting positions for the incompatible sister-group relationship (Gammaridae+Niphargidae) and (Crangonyctidae+Niphargidae). The molecular evidence is in favour of the latter relationship. The evolution of cephalothoracic apodemes is discussed in the light of other phylogenetic hypotheses resulting from molecular data.
A comparison of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) elements of digenetic trematodes (Platyhelminthes) including unidentified digeneans isolated from Cyathura carinata (Crustacea: Isopoda) revealed DNA sequence similarities at more than half of the spacer at its 3' end. Primary sequence similarity was shown to be associated with secondary structure conservation, which suggested that similarity is due to identity by descent and not chance. Using an analysis of apomorphies, the sequence data were shown to produce a distinct phylogenetic signal. This was confirmed by the consistency of results of different tree reconstruction methods such as distance approaches, maximum parsimony, and maximum likelihood. Morphological evidence additionally supported the phylogenetic tree based on ITS1 data and the inferred phylogenetic position of the unidentified digeneans of C. carinata met the expectations from known trematode life-cycle patterns. Although ribosomal ITS1 elements are generally believed to be too variable for phylogenetic analysis above the species or genus level, the overall consistency of the results of this study strongly suggests that this is not the case in digenetic trematodes. Here, 3' end ITS1 sequence data seem to provide a valuable tool for elucidating phylogenetic relationships of a broad range of phylogenetically distinct taxa.
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