Grants
Untangling ribbon worm diversity through mitogenomics
Role: Principal investigatorLittlewood T
Role: Co-investigator
Funding: Centre for Ecology and Evolution
Total value £4,100 (to Museum £4,100)
Dates: 2012 - 2013
Researcher, Molecular systematics
Department: Life SciencesDivision: LS Invertebrates
Phone: +44 (0) 207 942 6114
ResearchGate
Specialisms
Bryozoa, Phylogenetics, Platyhelminthes, bird strike identification, invasive species, mitogenomics, molecular systematics
Summary
I'm a molecular systematist with a particular interest in Bryozoa and Platyhelminthes. I am interested in how we can use phylogenies to study patterns of diversification and their underlying triggers. As such, my research aims to identify the, often repeated, innovation of key morphological and life history traits and the evolutionary importance of host-parasite interactions. In order to build well-resolved phylogenies, I frequently use complete mitochondrial genome data, generated using next-generation sequencing technology. A further part of my work involves the molecular identification of aviation bird strike victims.
Qualifications
Degrees
PhD, Swansea University, United Kingdom, 1999 - 2003
BSc Marine Biology, Swansea University, United Kingdom, 1996 - 1999
Highlighted publications
Taylor PD, Waeschenbach A (2015) Phylogeny and diversification of bryozoans. Palaeontology, 58 (4) : 585 - 599. doi: 10.1111/pala.12170
Caira JN, Jensen K, Waeschenbach A, Olson PD, Littlewood DTJ (2014) Orders out of chaos – molecular phylogenetics reveals the complexity of shark and stingray tapeworm relationships. International Journal for Parasitology, 44 (1) : 55 - 73. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.10.004
Waeschenbach A, Webster BL, Littlewood DTJ (2012) Adding resolution to ordinal level relationships of tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) with large fragments of mtDNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 63 (3) : 834 - 847. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.02.020
Waeschenbach A, Taylor PD, Littlewood DTJ (2012) A molecular phylogeny of bryozoans. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 62 (2) : 718 - 735. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.11.011
Scharer L, Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A, Yoshida W, Vizoso DB (2011) Mating behavior and the evolution of sperm design. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (4) : 1490 - 1495. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1013892108
Waeschenbach A, Cox CJ, Littlewood DTJ, Porter JS, Taylor PD (2009) First molecular estimate of cyclostome bryozoan phylogeny confirms extensive homoplasy among skeletal characters used in traditional taxonomy. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 52 (1) : 241 - 251. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.02.002
Additional links
Editorships
Associate editor, Systematics and Biodiversity, Cambridge University Press, 2014 - on going.
Reviewer / referee
Publications
Myxozoan Evolution, Ecology and Develop 0558 ment, (Book Chapter), Anonymous peer review, 2013 - on going.
Publications
Jensen K, Caira JN, Cielocha JJ, Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A (2016) When proglottids and scoleces conflict: phylogenetic relationships and a family-level classification of the Lecanicephalidea (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda). International Journal for Parasitology, 46 (5-6) : 291 - 310. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.02.002
Bray RA, Cribb TH, Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A (2016) The molecular phylogeny of the digenean family Opecoelidae Ozaki, 1925 and the value of morphological characters, with the erection of a new subfamily. Folia Parasitologica, 63 : doi: 10.14411/fp.2016.013
Maddock ST, Briscoe AG, Wilkinson M, Waeschenbach A, San MauroD, Day JJ, Littlewood DTJ, Foster PG, Nussbaum RA, Gower DJ (2016) Next-Generation Mitogenomics: A Comparison of Approaches Applied to Caecilian Amphibian Phylogeny. 3354 PLOS ONE, 11 (6) : e0156757 - e0156757. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156757
Waeschenbach A, Vieira LM, Reverter-gil O, Souto-derungs J, Nascimento KB, Fehlauer-ale KH (2015) A phylogeny of Vesiculariidae (Bryozoa, Ctenostomata) supports synonymization of three genera and reveals possible cryptic diversity. Zoologica Scripta, 44 (6) : 667 - 683. doi: 10.1111/zsc.12130
Brabec J, Waeschenbach A, Scholz T, Littlewood DTJ, Kuchta R (2015) Molecular phylogeny of the Bothriocephalidea (Cestoda): molecular data challenge morphological classification. International Journal for Parasitology, 45 (12) : 761 - 771. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.05.006
De ChambrierA, Waeschenbach A, Fisseha M, Scholz T, Mariaux J (2015) A large 28S rDNA-based phylogeny confirms the limitations of established morphological characters for classification of proteocephalidean tapeworms (Platyhelminthes, Cestoda). ZooKeys, 500 : 25 - 59. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.500.9360
Taylor PD, Waeschenbach A, Smith AM, Gordon DP (2015) In search of phylogenetic congruence between molecular and morphological data in bryozoans with extreme adult skeletal heteromorphy. Systematics and Biodiversity, 13 (6) : 525 - 544. doi: 10.1080/14772000.2015.1049673
Taylor PD, Waeschenbach A (2015) Phylogeny and diversification of bryozoans. Palaeontology, 58 (4) : 585 - 599. doi: 10.1111/pala.12170
Janssen T, Vizoso DB, Schulte G, Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A, Schärer L (2015) The first multi-gene phylogeny of the Macrostomorpha sheds light on the evolution of sexual and asexual reproduction in basal Platyhelminthes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 92 : 82 - 107. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.06.004
Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A (2015) Evolution: A Turn Up for the Worms. Current Biology, 25 (11) : R457 - R460. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.04.012
Littlewood DTJ, Bray RA, Waeschenbach A (2015) Phylogenetic patterns of diversity in cestodes and trematodes, In: Parasite Diversity and Diversification, Morand S, Krasnov BR, Littlewood DTJ (Eds). Cambridge University Press : 488.
Scholz T, Oros M, Choudhury A, Brabec J, Waeschenbach A (2015) New Circumscription Of Freshwater Fish Parasites Monobothrium Diesing, 1863 and Promonobothrium Mackiewicz, 1968 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea) Using Morphological and Molecular Evidence. Journal of Parasitology, 101 (1) : 29 - 36. doi: 10.1645/14-610.1
Phillips AJ, Georgiev BB, Waeschenbach A, Mariaux J (2014) Two new and two redescribed species of Anonchotaenia (Cestoda: Paruterinidae) from South American birds. Folia Parasitologica, 61 (5) : 441 - 461. doi: 10.14411/fp.2014.058
Bray RA, Cribb TH, Waeschenbach A, Littlewood DTJ (2014) Molecular evidence that the genus Cadenatella Dollfus, 1946 (Digenea: Plagiorchiida) belongs in the superfamily Haploporoidea Nicoll, 1914. Systematic Parasitology, 89 (1) : 15 - 21. doi: 10.1007/s11230-014-9504-5
Scholz T, Oros M, Bazsalovicsová E, Brabec J, Waeschenbach A, Xi B-W, Aydoğdu A, Besprozvannykh V, Shimazu T, Králová-hromadová I, Littlewood DTJ (2014) Molecular evidence of cryptic diversity in Paracaryophyllaeus (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of loaches (Cobitidae) in Eurasia, including description of P. vladkae n. sp.. Parasitology International, 63 (6) : 841 - 850. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.07.015
Caira JN, Jensen K, Waeschenbach A, Littlewood DTJ (2014) An enigmatic new tapeworm, Litobothrium aenigmaticum, sp. nov. (Platyhelminthes : Cestoda : Litobothriidea), from the pelagic thresher shark with comments on development of known Litobothrium species. Invertebrate Systematics, 28 (3) : 231 - 231. doi: 10.1071/IS13047
Fehlauer-ale KH, Mackie JA, Lim-fong GE, Ale E, Pie MR, Waeschenbach A (2014) Cryptic species in the cosmopolitan Bugula neritina complex (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata). Zoologica Scripta, 43 (2) : 193 - 205. doi: 10.1111/zsc.12042
Bray RA, Waeschenbach A, Dyal P, Littlewood DTJ, Morand S (2014) New digeneans (Opecoelidae) from hydrothermal vent fishes in the south eastern Pacific Ocean, including one new genus and five new species. Zootaxa, 3768 (1) : 73 - 73. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3768.1.5
Caira JN, Jensen K, Waeschenbach A, Olson PD, Littlewood DTJ (2014) Orders out of chaos – molecular phylogenetics reveals the complexity of shark and stingray tapeworm relationships. International Journal for Parasitology, 44 (1) : 55 - 73. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.10.004
Hartikainen H, Waeschenbach A, Wöss E, Wood T, Okamura B (2013) Divergence and species discrimination in freshwater bryozoans (Bryozoa: Phylactolaemata). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 168 (1) : 61 - 80. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12025
Scholz T, Chambrier ALAINDE, Kuchta ROMAN, Littlewood DTIMOTHYJ, Waeschenbach ANDREA (2013) Macrobothriotaenia ficta (Cestoda: Proteocephalidea), a parasite of sunbeam snake (Xenopeltis unicolor): example of convergent evolution. Zootaxa, 3640 (3) : 485 - 485. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3640.3.12
Bray RA, Foster GN, Waeschenbach A, Littlewood DTJ (2012) The discovery of progenetic Allocreadium neotenicum Peters, 1957 (Digenea: Allocreadiidae) in water beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in Great Britain. ZOOTAXA, 58 - 70.
Waeschenbach A, Porter JS, Hughes RN (2012) Molecular variability in the Celleporella hyalina (Bryozoa; Cheilostomata) species complex: evidence for cryptic speciation from complete mitochondrial genomes. Molecular Biology Reports, 39 (9) : 8601 - 8614. doi: 10.1007/s11033-012-1714-9
Waeschenbach A, Webster BL, Littlewood DTJ (2012) Adding resolution to ordinal level relationships of tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) with large fragments of mtDNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 63 (3) : 834 - 847. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.02.020
Waeschenbach A, Taylor PD, Littlewood DTJ (2012) A molecular phylogeny of bryozoans. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 62 (2) : 718 - 735. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.11.011
Taylor PD, Waeschenbach A, Florence WK (2011) Phylogenetic position and systematics of the bryozoan Tennysonia: further evidence for convergence and plasticity in skeletal morphology among cyclostome bryozoans. ZOOTAXA, 58 - 68.
Scharer L, Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A, Yoshida W, Vizoso DB (2011) Mating behavior and the evolution of sperm design. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (4) : 1490 - 1495. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1013892108
Bray R, Waeschenbach A, Cribb T, Weedall G, Dyal P, Littlewood D (2009) The phylogeny of the Lepocreadioidea (Platyhelminthes, Digenea) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial genes: Implications for their systematics and evolution. Acta Parasitologica, 54 (4) : doi: 10.2478/s11686-009-0045-z
Palm HW, Waeschenbach A, Olson PD, Littlewood DTJ (2009) Molecular phylogeny and evolution of the Trypanorhyncha Diesing, 1863 (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 52 (2) : 351 - 367. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.01.019
Waeschenbach A, Cox CJ, Littlewood DTJ, Porter JS, Taylor PD (2009) First molecular estimate of cyclostome bryozoan phylogeny confirms extensive homoplasy among skeletal characters used in traditional taxonomy. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 52 (1) : 241 - 251. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.02.002
Jex AR, Waeschenbach A, Hu M, Van WykJA, Beveridge I, Littlewood DTJ, Gasser RB (2009) The mitochondrial genomes of Ancylostoma caninum and Bunostomum phlebotomum – two hookworms of animal health and zoonotic importance. BMC Genomics, 10 (1) : 79 - 79. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-79
Littlewood D, Waeschenbach A, Nikolov P (2008) In search of mitochondrial markers for resolving the phylogeny of cyclophyllidean tapeworms (Platyhelminthes, Cestoda) — a test study with Davaineidae. Acta Parasitologica, 53 (2) : doi: 10.2478/s11686-008-0029-4
Jex AR, Hu M, Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A, Gasser RB (2008) Using 454 technology for long-PCR based sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genome from single Haemonchus contortus (Nematoda). BMC Genomics, 9 (1) : 11 - 11. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-9-11
Jex AR, Waeschenbach A, Littlewood DTJ, Hu M, Gasser RB (2008) The Mitochondrial Genome of Toxocara canis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2 (8) : e273 - e273. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000273
Waeschenbach A, Webster BL, Bray RA, Littlewood DTJ (2007) Added resolution among ordinal level relationships of tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) with complete small and large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 45 (1) : 311 - 325. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.03.019
Bray R, Cribb T, Waeschenbach A, Littlewood D (2007) A new species of Stephanostomum Looss, 1899 (Digenea, Acanthocolpidae) with a bizarre oral sucker: S. adlardi sp. nov. from the common coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (Lacepède, 1802) (Perciformes, Serranidae) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Acta Parasitologica, 52 (3) : doi: 10.2478/s11686-007-0025-0
Palm HW, Waeschenbach A, Littlewood DTJ (2007) Genetic diversity in the trypanorhynch cestode Tentacularia coryphaenae Bosc, 1797: evidence for a cosmopolitan distribution and low host specificity in the teleost intermediate host. Parasitology Research, 101 (1) : 153 - 159. doi: 10.1007/s00436-006-0435-1
Waeschenbach A, Telford MJ, Porter JS, Littlewood DTJ (2006) The complete mitochondrial genome of Flustrellidra hispida and the phylogenetic position of Bryozoa among the Metazoa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 40 (1) : 195 - 207. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.03.007
Briscoe AG, Hopkins KP, Waeschenbach A (2016) High-Throughput Sequencing of Complete Mitochondrial Genomes., In: null, null : 45 - 64.
Courses taught
Short course: Molecular diagnostics for species identification and evolution
2D3D
ary analysis
Natural History Museum, London
2/2015.
MSc: MSc Taxonomy and Biodiversity
Imperial College
Natural History Museum
Supervision
Doctorate (PhD) Adviser to Jenkins H
Co supervisor(s): Bishop JDD
Polyembryony, brood chamber initiation and sperm utilization in cyclostome bryozoans
Bangor University, Bangor
Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth
Natural History Museum, London
Funding: NERC