Sir

Blaxter et al. in “A molecular evolutionary framework for the phylum Nematoda” (Nature 392, 71; 1998) incorrectly attribute to me “the view that vertebrate parasites evolved from arthropod parasitic ancestors”. The oxyurids of vertebrates have long been considered to have been derived from oxyurids in insects, but to extend this idea to the other orders of the nematode of vertebrates is weird indeed and cannot be attributed to me or to any expert on helminthology I can think of.