Hidden in Plain Sight: Novel Molecular Data Reveal Unexpected Genetic Diversity Among Paramphistome Parasites (Digenea: Paramphistomoidea) of European Water Frogs

Overview

Journal Parasitology

Specialty Parasitology

Date 2022 Jun 17

PMID 35711137

Authors

Michal Benovics

Peter Mikulicek

Zuzana Zakovicova

Petr Papezik

Camila Pantoja

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Parasites might represent a helpful tool in understanding the historical dispersion and phylogeography of their hosts. In order to reveal whether the migration routes and diversification of hosts can be traceable in the genetic structures of their parasites, we investigated the diversity of paramphistomoid trematodes of frogs in 2 geographically distant European regions. Water frogs belonging to the genus represent a striking example of a species with a high variety of ecological adaptations and a rich evolutionary history. The parasites were collected from 2 Balkan endemic species, and , and 2 species in Slovakia, and . While in Slovakia, frogs harboured 2 species, the diplodiscid and the cladorchiid , only the former was recorded in the south-western Balkans. Remarkably high genetic diversity (16 unique mitochondrial 1 haplotypes, recognized among 60 novel sequences) was observed in , and subsequent phylogenetic analyses revealed a strong population-genetic structure associated with geographical distribution. We also evidenced the existence of 2 divergent 1 haplogroups in the south-western Balkans, which might be associated with the historical diversification of endemic water frogs in the regional glacial microrefugia.

Citing Articles

Evolutionary affinities and morphological characterization of the enigmatic Zonocotyle bicaecata (Trematoda: Paramphistomoidea: Zonocotylidae) from the Upper Paraná River basin.

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Diversity of trematodes from the amphibian anomaly P hotspot: Role of planorbid snails.

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