Bain O
Ann Parasitol Hum Comp. 1981;56(5):503-26.
A phylogenetic tree and a dichotomic key to the species in the genus Onchocerca are proposed. The origin and principal evolution have taken place in Africa where the most primitive species (O. railieti in the donkey) and the greatest number of species (half of the 24 representatives of the genus) occur. This evolution apparently took place in a relatively recent geological period, corresponding perhaps to the establishment of the Equidae in Africa during the Pleistocene. The species in humans, O. volvulus, belongs to a small line of Onchocerca in Africa Bovidae of the Savanna which is morphologically highly evolved (musculature atrophied and hypodermis hypertrophied in the female, intranodular location). O. volvulus appears to be a parasite which is still not well adapted to man (microfilariae not well tolerated).
本文提出了盘尾丝虫属物种的系统发育树和二歧分类检索表。该属的起源和主要进化发生在非洲，那里存在最原始的物种（驴体内的赖氏盘尾丝虫）以及数量最多的物种（该属24个代表物种中的一半）。这种进化显然发生在相对较近的地质时期，可能与更新世期间马科动物在非洲的出现相对应。人体内的旋盘尾丝虫属于非洲稀树草原牛科动物体内盘尾丝虫的一个小分支，在形态上高度进化（雌性肌肉组织萎缩，皮下组织肥大，位于结节内）。旋盘尾丝虫似乎是一种仍未很好适应人类的寄生虫（微丝蚴耐受性不佳）。
