The Diversity of Plasmodium and Other Haemosporidians: The Intersection of Taxonomy, Phylogenetics and Genomics
Ellen S. Martinsen and Susan L. Perkins
from: Malaria Parasites: Comparative Genomics, Evolution and Molecular Biology (Edited by: Jane M. Carlton, Susan L. Perkins and Kirk W. Deitsch). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2013)
Abstract
As important agents of disease, a great deal of research has been focused on the malaria parasites. Yet, the species that infect humans represent only a small fraction of the diversity of the malaria parasites, and future genomics projects on closely related parasite species with diverse life histories and other key traits will likely serve as important steps to a better understanding of malaria in humans as well as the biology of the group as a whole. Before comparative studies can be performed, however, a robust phylogeny or understanding of the evolutionary history of the group must be in place. The history of the discovery and classification of the malaria parasites has been a long and sometimes circuitous one and while new species surely remain to be discovered, it is important that we continue to adhere to taxonomic principles. Recent advances in molecular systematics have both challenged and enlightened our understanding of the diversity and evolution of these organisms, though the development of new molecular markers still remains a challenge and genome sequencing faces unique hurdles read more ...
