Kinetoplastid protists offer a unique opportunity for studying the evolution of parasitism. While all their close relatives are either photo- or phagotrophic, a number of kinetoplastid species are facultative or obligatory parasites, supporting a hypothesis that parasitism has emerged within this group of flagellates. In this review we discuss origin and evolution of parasitism in bodonids and trypanosomatids and specific adaptations allowing these protozoa to co-exist with their hosts. We also explore the limits of biodiversity of monoxenous (one host) trypanosomatids and some features distinguishing them from their dixenous (two hosts) relatives.

Biology Centre Institute of Parasitology Czech Academy of Sciences Czech Republic; Department of Parasitology Faculty of Sciences Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Biology Centre Institute of Parasitology Czech Academy of Sciences Czech Republic; Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic

Biology Centre Institute of Parasitology Czech Academy of Sciences Czech Republic; Life Science Research Centre Faculty of Science University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

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