Erséus, C., M. Källersjö, et al. (2002). “8S rDNA Phylogeny of the Tubificidae
(Clitellata) and Its Constituent Taxa: Dismissal of the Naididae.” Molecular
Phylogenetics and Evolution 22(3): 414-422.
ABSTRACT: The phylogeny of the Tubificidae, and of most of its
subfamilies and some of its genera, is revisited, on the basis of sequences
of 18S ribosomal DNA in a selection of species. Forty-six new 18S
sequences of Naididae (6), Tubificidae (37), Phreodrilidae (1),
Lumbriculidae (1), and Enchytraeidae (1) are reported and aligned together
with corresponding sequences of 21 previously studied taxa. The 18S gene
of Insulodrilus bifidus provides the first molecular evidence that phreodrilids
are closely related to tubificids, corroborating previous conclusions based
on morphology. The data further support the monophyletic status of
Tubificidae, provided that the "Naididae" is regarded a part of this family;
"naidids" may not even constitute a monophyletic group. It is thus
suggested that the family name Naididae is formally suppressed as a junior
synonym of the Tubificidae. The 18S gene also resolves a number of
relationships within the tubificids. Among the subfamilies, Tubificinae is
supported, Rhyacodrilinae and Phallodrilinae are revealed as
nonmonophyletic, and Limnodriloidinae remains unresolved. Most tubificid
genera tested for monophyly are corroborated by the data, only one
(Tubifex) is refuted, and two (Tubificoides and Limnodriloides) are
unresolved from other taxa. It is concluded that it will be valuable to expand
the taxonomic sampling for 18S rDNA in clitellates, and in annelids in
general, as this is likely to improve the resolution at many levels. However, it
will be equally important to combine the annelid 18S data with other gene
sequences and nonmolecular characters, to estimate the phylogeny of
these common and diverse worms with greater precision.
--
Geoff Read <g.read at niwa.cri.nz>
http://www.annelida.net/
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