Journal article

Publication year: 2000

Pages: 453-459

Journal: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Volume number: 62

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0002-9637

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2000.62.453

Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Abstract: 
The human lung fluke Paragonimus is transmitted by gastropod taxa of two superfamilies: Ceritheoidea and Rissooidea. The question whether or mot Puragonimus shows the same specificity of host-parasite coevolved relationship as the human blood fluke Schistosoma was inspired by the finding of two sympatric snail species as hosts for Paragonimus skrjabini in Fujian Province, China: Gammatricula and Erhaia. The former species can clearly be classified as Pomatiopsidae: Triculinae. The latter has previously been classified as Pomatiopsidae: Pomatiopsinae. However, this classification based on anatomical characteristics is uncertain. In order to obtain a robust phylogenetic hypothesis for Erhaia, we have studied three gene fragments from this taxon as well as from twelve related taxa. The data show that the species involved represent four families: Pomatiopsidae, Hydrobiidae, Cochliopidae there raised to family status), and Amnicolidae. Erhaia fits securely into the Amnicolidae. This indicates that P. skrjabini has not coevolved with snail lineages. However, P. skrjabini has so far only been reported from rissooidean snails, whereas members of the Paragonimus westermani complex have only been found in ceritheoidean snails. The implication is that there is a host specificity on the superfamily level. However, Asian freshwater species of the Ceritheoidea and Rissooidea usually are not sympatric and often prefer different habitats. It is therefore possible that ecological niche partitioning plays the primary role for Paragonimus evolution.

Harvard Citation style: Wilke, T., Davis, G., Gong, X. and Liu, H. (2000) Erhaia (Gastropoda : Rissooidea): Phylogenetic relationships and the question of Paragonimus coevolution in Asia, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 62(4), pp. 453-459. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2000.62.453

APA Citation style: Wilke, T., Davis, G., Gong, X., & Liu, H. (2000). Erhaia (Gastropoda : Rissooidea): Phylogenetic relationships and the question of Paragonimus coevolution in Asia. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 62(4), 453-459. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2000.62.453