Abstract
The phylogenetic position of the phylum Platyhelminthes has been re–evaluated in the past decade by analysis of diverse molecular datasets. The consensus is that the Rhabditophora + Catenulida, which includes most of the flatworm taxa, are not primitively simple basal bilaterians but are related to coelomate phyla such as molluscs. The status of two other groups of acoelomate worms, Acoela and Nemertodermatida, is less clear. Although many characteristics unite these two groups, initial molecular phylogenetic studies placed the Nemertodermatida within the Rhabditophora, but placed the Acoela at the base of the Bilateria, distant from other flatworms. This contradiction resulted in scepticism about the basal position of acoels and led to calls for further data. We have sequenced large subunit ribosomal RNA genes from 13 rhabditophorans + catenulids, three acoels and one nemertodermatid, tripling the available data. Our analyses strongly support a basal position of both acoels and nemertodermatids. Alternative hypotheses are significantly less well supported by the data. We conclude that the Nemertodermatida and Acoela are basal bilaterians and, owing to their unique body plan and embryogenesis, should be recognized as a separate phylum, the Acoelomorpha.
Royal Society Login
Sign in for Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows: please access the online journals via the Fellows’ Room
Not a subscriber? Request a free trial
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Pay Per Article - You may access this article or this issue (from the computer you are currently using) for 30 days.
Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article or Pay per Issue purchase if your access period has not yet expired.