Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Aug;79(2):248-55.

Evolutionary origins, diversification, and biogeography of liver flukes (Digenea, Fasciolidae)

Wael M Lotfy  1 , Sara V Brant, Randy J DeJong, Thanh Hoa Le, Aleksander Demiaszkiewicz, R P V Jayanthe Rajapakse, Vijitha B V P Perera, Jeff R Laursen, Eric S Loker
Affiliations

Evolutionary origins, diversification, and biogeography of liver flukes (Digenea, Fasciolidae)

Wael M Lotfy et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2008 Aug.

Abstract

Fasciolid flukes are among the largest and best known digenetic trematodes and have considerable historical and veterinary significance. Fasciola hepatica is commonly implicated in causing disease in humans. The origins, patterns of diversification, and biogeography of fasciolids are all poorly known. We have undertaken a molecular phylogenetic study using 28S, internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 (ITS-1 and ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA, and mitochondrial nicotinamide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) that included seven of the nine recognized species in the family. The fasciolids examined comprise a monophyletic group with the most basal species recovered from African elephants. We hypothesize fasciolids migrated from Africa to Eurasia, with secondary colonization of Africa. Fasciolids have been conservative in maintaining relatively large adult body size, but anatomical features of their digestive and reproductive systems are available. These flukes have been opportunistic, with respect to switching to new snail (planorbid to lymnaeid) and mammalian hosts and from intestinal to hepatic habitats within mammals.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Bayesian estimated tree from partial 28S rDNA. Nodal support values are indicated on the branch as bootstrap values for MP/ME/ML/Bayesian posterior probabilities. *More than 95% branch support for all four analyses for the outgroup taxa.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bayesian estimated tree from the combined data partitions of ITS1, ITS2, and partial nad1 genes. Nodal support values are indicated on the branch as bootstrap values for MP/ME/Bayesian posterior probabilities (E, E1; E2, Egyptian; K, Kenyan; Ir, Iranian).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Tree simplified from Figure 2 to map significant patterns and changes in hosts, habitat, morphology, and distribution. Snail at base of the tree represents the family Planorbidae, the other snail family is Lymnaeidae. Each illustrated fluke indicates the intestinal caeca (scale bar: 10 mm).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lotfy WM, Hillyer GV. Fasciola species in Egypt. Exp Pathol Parasitol. 2003;6:9–22.
    1. Thomas APW. The life history of the liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) Q J Microsc Sci. 1883;23:99–133.
    1. Reinhard EG. Landmarks of parasitology: I. The discovery of the life cycle of the liver fluke. Exp Parasitol. 1957;6:208–232. - PubMed
    1. Mas-Coma S, Bargues MD. Human liver flukes: a review. Res Rev Parasitol. 1997;57:145–218.
    1. Foreyt WJ, Hunter RL. Experimental infection of domestic goats with Fascioloides magna. Am J Vet Res. 1980;41:1531–1532. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources