[Taxacom] Branchiobdellida (leeches?, oligochaetes?, or stem annelids?)

[Tony.Rees at csiro.au]

Dear Ken,

I imagine there is most likely some more recent literature on this, but in case it helps, here is some text from the relevant chapter by Siddall et al. in "Assembling the Tree of Life" (Cracraft & Donohue eds., 2004), discussing results form nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences:

[p. 244]

"... the results of this cooperative phylogenetic work was the unambiguous validation of Livanow's (1906, 1931) assertions that Branchiobdellidans and Acanthobdella share a recent common ancestor with leeches, which together form the sister lineage to the lumbriculid ologichaetes (fig. 15.6)."

I can send you a copy of the cited figure if you are interested.

Regards,

Tony Rees
Hobart


-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Kenneth Kinman
Sent: Monday, 19 April 2010 12:43 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: [Taxacom] Branchiobdellida (leeches?, oligochaetes?, or stem annelids?)

Dear All,         
       There seems to be some controversy over whether Order
Branchiobdellida is:  (1) a primitive oligochaete taxon, (2) a primitive
hirudinean (leech) taxon, or (3) something which split off before either
of these main clitellate annelid taxa.  Is there any recent literature
which might clearly point which of these three possibilities is the most
likely?
           ---------Thanks,
                              Ken Kinman


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