01666nas a2200193   4500008004100000245009500041210006900136260007500205300001400280490000800294520095200302100001501254700001401269700001401283700001501297700001301312700001501325856013201340       2004                        eng d00aCaenorhabditis phylogeny predicts convergence of hermaphroditism and extensive intron loss0 aCaenorhabditis phylogeny predicts convergence of hermaphroditism  a2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USAbNATL ACAD SCIENCES  a9003-90080 v1013 aDespite the prominence of Caenorhabditis elegans as a major developmental and genetic model system, its phylogenetic relationship to its closest relatives has not been resolved. Resolution of these relationships is necessary for studying the steps that underlie life history, genomic, and morphological evolution of this important system. By using data from five different nuclear genes from 10 Caenorhabditis species currently in culture, we find a well resolved phylogeny that reveals three striking patterns in the evolution of this animal group: (i) Hermaphroditism has evolved independently in C elegans and its close relative Caenorhabditis briggsae; (ii) there is a large degree of intron turnover within Caenorhabditis, and intron losses are much more frequent than intron gains; and (iii) despite the lack of marked morphological diversity, more genetic disparity is present within this one genus than has occurred within all vertebrates.1 aKiontke, K1 aGavin, NP1 aRaynes, Y1 aRoehrig, C1 aPiano, F1 aFitch, DHA  uhttps://nematoda.myspecies.info/content/caenorhabditis-phylogeny-predicts-convergence-hermaphroditism-and-extensive-intron-loss