Abstract 39 How to cite the abstract: Berger H. (2008): How did the last common ancestor of the hypotrichs (Ciliophora, Spirotricha) look like? - 27th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Protozoology, March 5–8, 2008, Warnemünde, Rostock. Abstract on p. 30 of Abstract booklet. (Supported by the Austrian Science Fund [FWF; Project P-20569-B17, "Monograph of the Hypotricha, Part 5"). How did the last common ancestor of the hypotrichs (Ciliophora, Spirotricha) look like? BERGER Helmut; Consulting Engineering Office for Ecology, Radetzkystraße 10, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; E-mail: office@protozoology.com The Hypotricha Stein (= Stichotrichia Small & Lynn) are a major group of the spirotrichs. The knowledge of the ground-pattern (= ground-plan) of an evolutionary unit is of fundamental importance for the establishment of a phylogenetic system. This pattern is the combination of all features (e.g., morphological, ontogenetic, ecological, molecular) of the last common ancestor (stem-species) from which a monophylum evolved, that is, it is summary of apomorphies and more or less young plesiomorphies. Some supposed apomorphies of the Hypotricha are: (1) 18 frontal-ventral-transverse cirri; (2) three dorsal kineties; (3) parental somatic ciliature completely replaced during cell division. Some plesiomorphies of the hypotrichs are: (1) cirri present; (2) body dorsoventrally flattened; (3) body flexible; (4) frontal-ventral-transverse cirri originate from six anlagen; (5) caudal cirri present; (6) cortical granules present; (7) lack of kinetodesmal fibres in interphasic specimens; (8) benthic; (9) telomeric repeat sequence TTTTGGGG. For details, see Monographs of hypotrichs by Berger (1999; Monographiae Biol. 78:1-1080; oxytrichids), Berger (2006; Monographiae Biol. 85: 1-1303; urostyloids), and Berger (2008; Monographiae Biol., in press; amphisiellids). The financial support of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF; Project P-20569-B17) is greatly acknowledged. Start manual download of PDF (500kB; go to page 30) Links Homepage www.protozoology.com Publication list of Helmut Berger Publisher Helmut Berger Main publication to this topic Adobe to get the free Adobe Acrobat Reader Keywords: Alveolata, apomorphy, Ciliophora, ciliates, evolution, ground pattern, Grundmuster, Hypotrichia, Hypotrichida, letzter gemeinsamer, molecular biology, phylogeny, plesiomorphy, review, Spirotricha, spirotricha, stem line, Vorfahre Top Dr Helmut BERGER Consulting Engineering Office for Ecology - Technisches Büro für Ökologie Radetzkystrasse 10, 5020 Salzburg, Austria, Europe Phone +43-(0)662-432538; Fax +43-(0)662-443139; email office@protozoology.com; http://www.protozoology.com