Phylogenetic relationship of Podocopida (Ostracoda: Podocopa) based on 18S ribosomal DNA sequences

Nucleotide sequences from 18S rDNA of 11 ostracodes, which represent four suborders and six superfamilies of podocopidan, were determined. The phylogenetic relationships were analyzed based on three kinds of methods (maximum-likelihood, maximum-parsimony, and neighbor-joining), and the three topologies gained were basically similar. The results have showed that (1) a monophyletic Podocopida was supported strongly; (2) the phylogenetic relationships of four suborders were (Darwinulocopina plus (Bairdiocopina plus (Cytherocopina plus Cypridocopina))), which indicated that a close relationship between Cytherocopina and Cypridocopina, and Darwinulocopina had separated early from the main podocopinan; (3) Cypridocopinan formed a monophyletic group, among which the phylogenetic relationship of three superfamilies was (Cypridoidea plus (Macrocypridoidea plus Pontocypridoidea)).