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Ticks are potential vectors for pathogens, to varying degrees depending on the species and their particular biology. Transcriptomic sequencing is a valuable resource for understanding the biology of each species, as it helps to establish its "toolbox" (gene sequences and level of expression). A first phylogeny has been established on the scale of the hard tick group, by exploiting these resources in a comparative and evolutionary dimension. The evolutionary history of the genus Ixodes was clarified: it is divided into four major groups, including a complex of species very close to Ixodes ricinus.

Bibliography :

Charrier N. P., Hermouet A., Hervet C., Agoulon A., Barker S. C., Heylen D., Toty C., McCoy K. D., Plantard O., Rispe C. 2019. A transcriptome-based phylogenetic study of hard ticks (Ixodidae). Scientific Reports, 9(1):12923 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49641-9.