Honors College Theses
Publication Date
4-6-2023
Major
Biology (B.S.B.)
Release Option
Restricted to Georgia Southern
Faculty Mentor
Stephen Greiman
Abstract
Shrews, small insectivorous mammals, host a diversity of tapeworms mostly in the family Hymenolepididae, but one genus is in the Dilepididae (i.e. Monocercus). This genus, with only one described species, Monocercus soricis, is greatly understudied in North America. In the fall of 2015, we collected 15 montane shrews (Sorex monticola) from Cowles, New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. From two individuals, we identified a new species of Monocercus. Morphological characteristics, 28S rDNA sequences, and complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences were used to differentiate this new species from M. soricis and Eurasian species. We sequenced, assembled, and annotated the mt genome of the new species. Mitochondrial genomes were assembled from Illumina HiSeq whole genome sequence data. Bioinformatic programs NOVOPlasty and Geneious were used to isolate and assemble the mt genomes, which were annotated using both Geneious (protein coding genes (12) and rRNAs (2)) and ARWEN (tRNAs (22)). A phylogenetic analysis of the Cyclophylidea was ran and is the first to include any species in the family Dilepididae.
Thesis Summary
New species description of a tapeworm in the genus Monocercus. Including morphological and molecular differentiation.
Copyright
This work is archived and distributed under the repository's Standard Copyright and Reuse License (opens in new tab). End users may copy, store, and distribute this work without restriction. For all other uses, permission must be obtained from the copyright owners or their authorized agents.
Recommended Citation
Skelton, Devin, "DESCRIPTION AND PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF MONOCERCUS VILLOT 1982 FROM SOREX MONTICULA COLLECTED FROM THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO" (2023). Honors College Theses. 841.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/841
