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Updated: May 3, 2026

Author Spotlight: AI-Driven Trypanosome Species Detection from Microscopic Images
Published on: October 27, 2023
Free-living bodonids and derived parasitic trypanosomatids: but what lies in between?
1Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.
Abstract:
Inclusion of suitable out-group taxa has been of particular importance in accurate reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among trypanosomatids. However, the persistence of researchers focusing on insect trypansomatids appears to have paid off, and a novel, apparently-monoxenous parasite isolated from mosquitoes has recently been characterised. Critically, phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses robustly position this new species, Paratrypanosoma confusum, between free-living bodonid out-group taxa and other trypanosomatids, thereby overcoming some of the issues associated with previously utilised out-groups.
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