Molecular Evidence for the Placement of Microcerberidae (crustacea: Isopoda) Within the Suborder Asellota and Invalidity of the Suborder Microcerberidea

Since their discovery, the question of the phylogenetic position of Microcerberidae within Isopoda has been widely debated. Initially perceived as close relatives of the Anthuridae, the debate has shifted towards considering them either as a sister group of Asellota or positioned within the Asellota in their own right. In this study, we used sequence data for eight slow-evolving nuclear genes in 37 isopod taxa to test for the hypothesis that Microcerberidae were Asellota and, as such, should not be regarded as an independent suborder within the Isopoda. We also evaluated the earlier hypothesis of a sister relationship between the Anthuridae and Microcerberidae. Altogether, our results provide strong evidence in favour of a clade including the Microcerberidae and the Aselloidea, which supports the invalidation of the suborder Microcerberidea.