Microplaninae is a subfamily of land planarians.[1]

Microplaninae
Microplana sp.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Subfamily: Microplaninae
Pantin, 1953
Genera

See text

Description

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The subfamily Microplaninae was defined by Ogren and Kawakatsu (1988)[2] for land planarians with a short and cylindroid form, an anterior end that is blunt, eyes often small and subepithelial musculature weak. The male copulatory apparatus is often complicated and has a well-developed penis. The female apparatus is very variable, with or without a seminal bursa and with or without a connection with the intestine.

It was originally considered, based on morphological evidence, to be the sister group of the subfamily Rhynchodeminae.[2] However, recent phylogenetic analyses indicated that both subfamilies are not closely related.[3]

Genera

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Eight genera of Microplaninae are known:[1]

Phylogeny

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Phylogenetic tree including the land planarian subfamilies after Álvarez-Presas et al., 2008.[3] Note that Spathula and Romankenkius belong to the Dugesiidae family:

Geoplanoidea

References

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  1. ^ a b Sluys, R.; Kawakatsu, M.; Riutort, M.; Baguñà, J. (2009). "A new higher classification of planarian flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida)". Journal of Natural History. 43 (29–30): 1763–1777. doi:10.1080/00222930902741669.
  2. ^ a b Ogren, R. E. and Kawakatsu, M. (1988). Index to the species of the family Rhynchodemidae (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola) Part I: Rhynchodeminae. Bulletin of Fujis Women's College. 26: 39-91.
  3. ^ a b Álvarez-Presas, M.; Baguñà, J.; Riutort, M. (2008). "Molecular phylogeny of land and freshwater planarians (Tricladida, Platyhelminthes): From freshwater to land and back". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 47 (2): 555–568. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.032. PMID 18359250.