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The evolutionary biology of protozoa is a field in which exciting changes are taking place. Relationships between different groups of protozoa are undergoing extensive review and the revised views will have significant repercussions for future investigations. New data from molecular and ultrastructural studies have changed our perception of evolution among this diverse group of organisms in recent years.
This volume, part of the Systematics Association Special Volume Series, aims to review this important area and give an up-to-date synthesis of current understanding. The various chapters are deliberately broad in scope and explore areas such as the contribution of different techniques and approaches to the understanding of protistan evolution and the biochemical and physiological aspects of that evolution; there are also chapters that analyse and explore specific protistan groups. In addition some of the chapters discuss topics that are currently very controversial within this field, such as the finding that the 18S rRNA phylogenetic tree of protozoa is probably unreliable.
The world-renowned editors have assembled an international team of outstanding scientists whose contributions have produced a volume of interest to all evolutionary biologists and especially those interested in protozoa.
List of contents
Evolutionary relationships among protozoa: an introduction. The molecular phylogeny of protozoa: solid facts and uncertainties. Evolutionary relationships between protist phyla constructed from large subunit ribosomal RNAs accounting for unequal rates of substitution among sites. Evolutionary relationships in microsporidia. Phylogenetics of protozoan tubulin. Enzymes and compartmentation of core energy metabolism of anaerobic protists: a special case in eukaryotic evolution? Molecular phylogeny of Trichomonas and Naegleria: implications for the relative timing of the mitochondrion emdosymbiosis. Hydrogenosomes and plastid-like organelles in amoeboflagellates, chytrids, and apicoplexan parasites. Molecular systematics of the intestinal amoebae. Relationships between amoeboflagellates. Molecular phylogeny of kinetoplastids. Evolutionary relationships among the African trypanosomes: implications for the epidemiology and generation of human sleeping sickness epidemics. Organelle and enzyme evolution in trypanosomatids. The phylum Apicomplexa: an update on the molecular phylogeny. Origin of plastids. Plastid-like DNA in apicomplexans. The karyorelictids, a unique and enigmatic assemblage of marine, interstitial ciliates: a review emphasizing ciliary patterns and evolution. Molecular and cellular evolution of ciliates: a phylogenetic perspective. Phylogenetic relationships of myxozoans. Relationships between lower fungi and protozoa. Neomonada and the origin of animals and fungi. Classification of protozoa and protists: the current status.
Summary
The evolutionary biology of protozoa is a field in which exciting changes are taking place. The various chapters are deliberately broad in scope and explore areas such as the contribution of different techniques and approaches to the understanding of protistan evolution and the biochemical and physiological aspects of that evolution;
