Conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses for the parasitic platyhelminths tested by partial sequencing of 18S ribosomal RNA.

Partial sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA in nine parasitic and one free-living species of platyhelminth was used to test hypotheses on the phylogenetic relationships among the major groups. The eucestodes, amphilinideans, gyrocotylideans and monopisthocotylideans appeared as a monophyletic assemblage in a cladistic analysis of the data, with a very close association between the gyrocotylideans and monopisthocotylideans. The polyopisthocotylidean monogeneans were paraphyletic to the monopisthocotylideans. The digeneans appeared to be a sister group to the monogeneans and eucestodes, while the temnocephalidean was closely related to the free-living polyclad.