Lice are considered a model system for studying the process of cospeciation because they are obligate and permanent parasites and are often highly host‐specific. Among lice, species in the family Echinophthiriidae Enderlein (Anoplura) are unique in that they infest mammalian hosts with an amphibious lifestyle, i.e. pinnipeds and the river otter. There is evidence that the ancestor of this group infested the terrestrial ancestor of pinnipeds, which suggests these parasites coevolved with their hosts during the transition to marine environments. However, there has been no previous study investigating the phylogenetic relationships among sucking lice parasitizing seals and sea lions. To uncover the evolutionary history of these parasites, we obtained genomic data for
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10446311
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Systematic Entomology
- Volume:
- 47
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0307-6970
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 390-401
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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