Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of the Soil Ciliate Anteholosticha rectangula sp. nov. from King George Island, Maritime Antarctica

Abstract

The soil ciliate <em>Anteholosticha rectangula</em> nov. spec. was discovered on King George Island in maritime Antarctica. Morphology and the nuclear SSU rDNA sequence were used to describe and infer the phylogenetic position of the new species. <em>Anteholosticha rectangula</em> is morphologically similar to A. bergeri and A. verrucosa, differing primarily by the morphology of the nuclear apparatus and dorsal kineties, respectively. The morphological features of related species are compared and discussed to confirm the validity of the new species. Molecular phylogenetic tree supports the previously reported polyphyly of the genus <em>Anteholosticha</em>.