Current status of the tardigrada: Evolution and ecology

Integrative and Comparative Biology, Jun 2002 by Nelson, Diane R

CONCLUSIONS

Despite their overall abundance and cosmopolitan distribution, the Tardigrada have been relatively neglected by invertebrate zoologists. Because of difficulties in collecting and culturing the organisms and their apparent lack of economic importance to humans, our knowledge of tardigrades has lagged that of other groups. However, their importance in elucidating the phylogeny of the Metazoa, particularly the arthropods, has recently increased interest in this group. In addition, their development and ecology are poorly understood, and proper training of taxonomists skilled in identifying tardigrade species is essential for systematic, ecological, and molecular analyses.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Dr. Jim Garey for organizing this symposium and for his helpful comments on the manuscript. In addition, I thank my tardigrade colleagues around the world for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm. I gratefully acknowledge the continued support of my research by East Tennessee State University.

1 From the Symposium on Lesser-Known Protostome Taxa: Evolution, Development, and Ecology presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 3-7 January 2001, at Chicago, Illinois.

REFERENCES

Aguinaldo, A., J. Turbeville, L. Linford, M. Rivera, J. Garey, R. Raff, and J. Lake. 1997. Evidence for a clade of nematodes, arthropods, and other moulting animals. Nature 387:489-493.

Bello, G. and S. de Zio Grimaldi. 1998. Phylogeny of the genera of the Stygarctidae and related families (Tardigrada: Heterotardigrada). Zool. Anz. 237:171-183.

Bertolani, R. 1982. 15. Tardigradi. Guide per il Riconoscimento delle Specie Animali delle Acque Interne Italiane, pp. 104. Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Verona, Italy.

Bertolani, R. (ed.) 1987a. Biology of tardigrades. Proceedings of the fourth international symposium on the Tardigrada, September 1985, Modena, Italy. Selected Symposia and Monographs 1:1-380. Mucchi, Modena, Italy.

Bertolani, R. 1987b. Sexuality, reproduction, and propagation in tardigrades. In R. Bertolani (ed.), Biology of tardigrades. Proceedings of the fourth international symposium on the Tardigrada, September 1985, Modena, Italy. Selected Symposia and Monographs 1:93-101. Mucchi, Modena, Italy.

Bertolani, R. and L. Rebecchi. 1993. A revision of the Macrobiotus hufelandi group (Tardigrada, Macrobiotidae), with some observations on the taxonomic characters of eutardigrades. Zool. Scripta 22:127-152.

Bertolani, R. and L. Rebecchi. 1996. The tardigrades of Emilia (Italy). II. Monte Rondinaio. A multihabitat study on a high altitude valley of the northern Apennines. In S. McInnes and D. Norman (eds.), Tardigrade biology. Proceedings of the sixth international symposium on Tardigrada, August 1994, Cambridge, England. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 116:3-12.

Bertolani, R. and L. Rebecchi. 1999. Tardigrada. In E. Knobil and J. D. Neill (eds.), Encyclopedia of reproduction, Vol. 4, pp. 703-718. Academic Press, San Diego.

Bertolani, R., L. Rebecchi, and G. Beccaccioli. 1990. Dispersal of Ramazzottius and other tardigrades in relation to type of reproduction. Invert. Reprod. Develop. 18:153-157.