Abstract
This paper presents a re-evaluation of the taxonomic position and evolutionary relationships of Trypanosoma ( Herpetosoma) rangeli based on the phylogenetic analysis of ssrRNA sequences of 64 Trypanosoma species and comparison of mini-exon sequences. All five isolates of T. rangeli grouped together in a clade containing Trypanosoma ( Schizotrypanum) cruzi and a range of closely related trypanosome species from bats [ Trypanosoma ( Schizotrypanum) dionisii, Trypanosoma ( Schizotrypanum) vespertilionis] and other South American mammals [ Trypanosoma ( Herpetosoma) leeuwenhoeki, Trypanosoma ( Megatrypanum) minasense, Trypanosoma ( Megatrypanum) conorhini] and an as yet unidentified species of trypanosome from an Australian kangaroo. Significantly T. rangeli failed to group with (a) species of subgenus Herpetosoma, other than those which are probably synonyms of T. rangeli, or (b) species transmitted via the salivarian route, although either of these outcomes would have been more consistent with the current taxonomic and biological status of T. rangeli. We propose that use of the names Herpetosoma and Megatrypanum should be discontinued, since these subgenera are clearly polyphyletic and lack evolutionary and taxonomic relevance. We hypothesise that T. rangeli and T. cruzi represent a group of mammalian trypanosomes which completed their early evolution and diversification in South America.
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