Genetic variation within species of the nematode genus Cloacina (Strongyloidea : Cloacininae) parasitic in the stomachs of rock wallabies, Petrogale spp. (Marsupialia : Macropodidae) in Queensland

Abstract

Four morphospecies of Cloacina, parasitic nematodes in the stomachs of rock wallabies (Petrogale spp.) from Queensland, were compared genetically using sequence data of the two internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The results suggest that two geographically isolated populations of C. ernabella from P. purpureicollis were genetically distinct. Based on the autapomorphic species concept, these two C. ernabella populations represented different species. For the three other nematode morphospecies, there were genetic differences among individuals of a morphospecies present in different species of host. The results suggest that each may represent a complex of sibling speci..