Monophyletic origin of the genus Leishmania Ross, 1903.

Abstract

In 1987 Lainson and Shaw published an improved version of their classification of the genus Leishmania [3]. This was, however, mainly based on extrinsic, eco-epidemiological criteria and a Linnean type of taxonomy which did not lend itself fully to the question of the monoor polyphyletic origin of the genus. By integrating Hennig's concepts [1] and using biochemical techniques and a cladistic approach, it is now possible to provide an unequivocal solution to this problem.