Diversity of Trematoda

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 1978

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, Belo Horizonte 30123-970, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Interests: helminthology; taxonomy; trematodes; life cycle; phylogeny

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Trematodes are a diverse group of endoparasites of all vertebrate classes found throughout the globe. Several species are known due to their medical and veterinary importance. Still, the relevance of these parasitic plathelminths as part of biodiversity has also been recognized in the last times. The complex life cycle of trematodes, with snails and vertebrates as obligate hosts, required adaptations for the transmission of the different larval stages to the hosts. The study of host–parasite interrelationships involving trematodes has piqued the curiosity of specialists over time. Despite something around 20K species being described so far, estimates indicate that the diversity of these parasites is far from being fully known. Moreover, the complete life cycle of most species is unknown. Although advances in the taxonomy and phylogeny of trematodes have been arising in the molecular era, there is still a long way to be constructed for a solid natural classification of these helminths, which is necessary for understanding their evolution and biogeography. All these gaps make trematodes a relevant group for basic and multidisciplinary studies carried out by taxonomists, ecologists, and experimental biologists. This Special Issue is devoted to high-quality and illuminating works for advancing the taxonomy and biology of trematodes, a fascinating parasite group found in all types of environments (marine, freshwater, and terrestrial) and hosts (invertebrates and vertebrates). Studies integrating classical morphology and modern approaches are welcome. The scope includes but is not limited to taxonomy, life cycle, phylogeny, and population genetics of members of the diverse class Trematoda.

Dr. Hudson Alves Pinto
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • trematodes
  • helminth
  • life cycle
  • snails
  • vertebrates
  • phylogeny
  • genetics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

29 pages, 12378 KiB  
Article
Untangling the “Renicola somateria” (Digenea, Renicolidae) Muddle: Actual Number of Species and Their Distribution and Transmission in the Holarctic
by Kirill V. Galaktionov, Anna I. Solovyeva, Aleksei A. Miroliubov, Anna E. Romanovich and Karl Skírnisson
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070402 - 12 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1503
Abstract
Renicolids are parasites of aquatic birds. Their species identification based on morphological characters is problematic. Here, we revised the composition of Renicola spp. parasitising anatids in nearshore areas of northern seas using integrated morphological and molecular data. We redescribed Renicola somateria and verified [...] Read more.
Renicolids are parasites of aquatic birds. Their species identification based on morphological characters is problematic. Here, we revised the composition of Renicola spp. parasitising anatids in nearshore areas of northern seas using integrated morphological and molecular data. We redescribed Renicola somateria and verified the diagnosis of R. mediovitellata. We established that the first intermediate host (FIH) of R. somateria is the mollusc Buccinum undatum, while the FIHs of R. mediovitellata are Nucella spp. molluscs. We described the intramolluscan stages of both species. Renicola somateria and R. mediovitellata formed a separate clade in the molecular trees of the Renicolidae. This finding confirms the existence of three main phylogenetic branches of renicolids, differing in the structure of adults, type of cercariae, and host range. Molecular data demonstrated an amphiboreal distribution of both R. somateria and R. mediovitellata. The former is represented by a single population in Europe and the North Pacific, while the latter forms separate populations in these regions. This may be because R. somateria actually uses not only B. undatum but also some other buccinid species with similar circum-Arctic ranges as the FIH. We discuss the roles played in the formation of digenean ranges by the vagility of the definitive host, the lifespan of the adults, and the distribution of the FIH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Trematoda)
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