Phylogeny of the rhabdocoel turbellaria and the origin of the freshwater representatives (R-1291)

The Rhabdocoela form a monophyletic taxon of freeliving platworms with more than 1000 species that live all over the world and in all moist habitats: in the marine context, litoral as well as deep see, in brackish water, in stillstanding and streaming freshwater habitats and even in moist terrestric contexts. A number of species have a cosmopolitic diffusion, with as most striking example gyratrix hermaphroditus, a species with of a quasi worldwide diffusion and occurring in fresh and brackish water as well as in see. Morphologic and karyologic data suggest now that this species actually constitutes a complex of a number of cryptic species. Molecular studies that could support this suggestion, are as yet lacking.

Keywords:BIOGEOGRAPHY, CRYPTIC BIODIVERSITY, FRESHWATER TAXA, KALYPTORHYNCHIA, PHYLOGENY, PLATYHELMINTHES, RHABDOCOELA, TAXONOMY

Disciplines:Biological sciences, Veterinary sciences