Mitosis in the Cryptophyceae

Abstract

IN a recent issue of Nature1 Oakley and Dodge are critical of my theory on the evolution of the algae2. I believe that their criticisms are the result of some misconceptions and inaccuracies. In reference to my article2 they state "the Cryptophyceae were thought to be ancestral and closely related to the Cyanophyceae". First, there must be some error in sentence structure, for to conclude that the eukaryotic Cryptophyceae are ancestors to the prokaryotic Cyanophyceae is a difficult assumption to make. Second, I never said that the Cyanophyceae were closely related to the Crytophyceae but that the Cyanophyceae were closely related to the chloroplasts of the Cryptophyceae. Therefore one would not expect cell division in the Cyanophyceae to be similar to that in the Cryptophyceae as they infer. © 1974 Nature Publishing Group.