The Biology and Evolution of Trematodes

The trematodes are parasitic flatworms of great medical and veterinary importance. An understanding of the evolution of trematodes depends on an interpretation of their complex and diverse life cycles. It is the life cycles in general and the stages that comprise these cycles that are the focus of the detailed analysis presented herein. The book contains a broad scope of modern information on digenetic trematodes, from descriptions of their morphology and development to their behaviour and the structure of their populational groups. The book provides information on all characteristics of trematode organization and biology from an evolutionary standpoint. Possible scenarios of early stages of life cycle formation are discussed as well as a consideration of further evolution in different taxa and ecological groups of trematodes. An original approach to the elaboration of a natural system of these parasites is proposed. The book is addressed to zoologists and parasitologists, as well as to researchers from a wide range of disciplines interested in understanding the evolution of life cycles and host-parasite interactions.