Moleculaire evolutie platwormen

Molecular evolution and cophylogeny of rhabdocoel flatworms as a case study on the acquisition of endosymbiosis Living in close association with another, non-related species is a large evolutionary step for any kind of organism. This is reflected in the huge changes in body plan which accompany this shift towards a symbiotic life style. But also at the genetic level, this so-called symbiosis has several effects. For instance, in organisms as diverse as plants, insects, fishes, and birds a symbiotic/parasitic life style is apparently correlated with remarkably rapid and profound genetic changes. It is however uncertain whether such effects always occur in symbiotic or parasitic species of all organismal groups alike. In order to test for this, I will study mitochondrial evolution in three unrelated taxa of endosymbiotic flatworms, living in invertebrate hosts in European seas. For this purpose, I will compare the mitochondrial genome of the endosymbionts and their free- living relatives. A symbiotic lifestyle also largely influences the patterns of formation of new species. For instance, the speciation patterns in the endosymbionts might or might not reflect these of their hosts; other possibilities are for example that new species of symbiotic flatworms arise by colonising different host species, or that the same flatworm species is present in a large number of hosts. In order to investigate this, speciation patterns of hosts and endosymbionts will be compared in order to unravel in detail the evolutionary history of these intriguing animals.

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