The ancient symbiosis of crayfish and temnocephalan flatworms in Australian freshwaters investigated using molecules, morphology and biogeography

用分子、形态学和生物地理学方法研究了澳大利亚淡水中小龙虾和temnocephalan扁虫的古代共生关系。淡水类螯虾在澳大利亚的淡水中分布广泛，种类繁多。自从它们起源于冈瓦纳岛以来，与它们（生活在外表面）相关的是许多种temnocephalan扁虫。我们将阐明这一关联的分子、形态和生物地理历史，这似乎是古老和特殊的。这项研究将揭示澳大利亚与新西兰和南美洲的生物学联系。它还将使用小龙虾和temnocephalans之间的关联作为模型来研究共生的一般特征，包括分子和形态进化反应以及宿主转换和共种等现象。

The ancient symbiosis of crayfish and temnocephalan flatworms in Australian freshwaters investigated using molecules, morphology and biogeography. Freshwater parastacid crayfish are widespread and diverse in Australia's freshwaters. Associated with them (living on external surfaces) since their origins on Gondwana are very many species of temnocephalan flatworms. We will elucidate the molecular, morphological and biogeographic history of this association which appears to be ancient and specific. The study will shed light on Australia's biological links with New Zealand and South America. It will also use the association between crayfish and temnocephalans as a model to investigate general features of symbioses, including molecular and morphological evolutionary responses and phenomena such as host-switching and cospeciation.