The paper investigates the relationship between mitochondrial and non-coding nuclear DNA content in kinetoplastids, finding an inverse correlation that suggests co-evolution of genome sizes.

bioRxiv · Oct 6, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology

DIVERGENT TRAJECTORIES FOR ANAEROBIC MITOCHONDRIAL EVOLUTION IN BREVIATE PROTISTS

Zhenzhen Yi, Shelby K. Williams, Michelle M. Leger, Nikolaj Brask, Dayana Elizabeth Salas-Leiva, Jeffrey D. Silberman, Yana Eglit, Alastair G. B. Simpson, Andrew J. Roger, Courtney W. Stairs

This study investigates the evolutionary pathways of anaerobic mitochondrial adaptations in breviate protists by analyzing transcriptomes and predicting MRO proteomes across eight species.

bioRxiv · Jan 29, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology

Phylogenomics of free-living neobodonids reveals they are a paraphyletic group from which all other metakinetoplastids are descended

Daryna Zavadska, Julia A. Packer, Daria Tashyreva, Ryoma Kamikawa, Alastair G. B. Simpson, Daniel J. Richter

The paper presents transcriptomic data for 11 free-living neobodonid kinetoplastids and reveals they are paraphyletic, with other metakinetoplastids descending from them.

bioRxiv · Oct 3, 2025 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology

A robustly rooted tree of eukaryotes reveals their excavate ancestry.

Kelsey Williamson, Laura Eme, Hector Baños, Charley G. P. McCarthy, Edward Susko, Ryoma Kamikawa, Russell J. S. Orr, Sergio A. Muñoz-Gómez, Bùi Quang Minh, Alastair G. B. Simpson, Andrew J. Roger

This study estimates the root of the eukaryote Tree of Life using mitochondrial proteins, finding it between Opimoda+ and Diphoda+ supergroups.

Nature · Mar 12, 2025Peer-reviewedEvolutionary Biology

Two newly cultivated eukaryotrophic flagellates represent distinct anaerobic lineages

Yana Eglit, Maggie Lawton, Alastair G. B. Simpson, Ryan M.R. Gawryluk

The paper describes two newly cultivated anaerobic eukaryotrophic flagellates, SSF and PG, representing distinct Rhizarian lineages adapted to anoxic conditions.

bioRxiv · Sep 1, 2024 · PreprintMicrobiology

Extreme mitochondrial reduction in a novel group of free-living metamonads.

Shelby K. Williams, Jon Jerlström-Hultqvist, Yana Eglit, Dayana Elizabeth Salas-Leiva, Bruce A. Curtis, Russell J. S. Orr, Courtney W. Stairs, Tuğba N. Atalay, Naomi MacMillan, Alastair G. B. Simpson, Andrew J. Roger

The paper investigates mitochondrial reduction in free-living metamonads, finding extreme reduction in some species, including loss of mitochondrial functions and pathways.

Nature Communications · Aug 9, 2024Peer-reviewedGenomics