This investigation was carried out primarily to study the semi-aquatic tardigrade fauna of Southwestern Virginia. Specimens were obtained from mosses and lichens and were mounted by use of a procedure employing a modification of Hoyer's medium. During the course of this study, 694 specimens were obtained and the following species were identified: Batillipes friaufi sp. n., Echiniscus (Hypechiniscus) gladiator, Echiniscus (Echiniscus) virginicus sp. n., Pseudechiniscus suillus, Macrobiotus macronyx, Macrobiotus intermedius,Macrobiotus richtersi, Macrobiotus harmsworthi, Macrobiotus hufelandi, Macrobiotus echinogenitus, Hypsibius (Isohypsibius) tuberculatus, Hypsibius (Isohypsibius) nodosus, Hypsibius (Isohypsibius) prosostomus, Hypsibius (Isohypsibius) tetradactyloides, Hypsibius (Isohypsibius) canadensis, Hypsibius (Hypsibius) convergens, Hypsibius (Hypsibius) conjungens, Hypsibius (hypsibius) oberhaeuseri, Diphascon bullatus, Diphascon angustatus, Diphascon sconticus, Diphascon belgicae, Diphascon ninguis, Diphascon nodulosus, Itaguascon bellinae and Milnesium tardigradum. Collection data, discussion of the taxonomic status and previous morphological observations were presented for each species. Recommendations were made concerning the discarding of egg morphology as a valid basis for species description and identification. The practice of using numbers for taxonomic entities in tardigrade systematics was observed to be deplorable and the abandonment of such usages was urged. Evidences for the consideration of the Tardigrada as a phylum were presented and a taxonomic hierarchy was erected for this disposition. To complete this taxonomic scheme, the Heterotardigrada and Eutardigrada were accorded class status, the Arthrotardigrada and Echiniscida (= Echiniscoidea) were raised to ordinal rank and a new order, Diplotardigrada, was included with the Eutardigrada. The following new family names, made mandatory by the rules of nomenclature, were presenteda Batillipidae (= Discopodidae), Tetrakentronidae (= Onychopodidae), Echiniscoididae (= Nudechiniscidae), Echiniscidae (= Scutechiniscidae) and Milnesiidae (= Arctiscidae). The previously suggested phylogenetic schemes for the tardigrades were reviewed and the evidences for affinities of the Tardigrada were presented. A bibliography of the recent literature on the tardigrades was compiled. / Doctor of Philosophy

Screening of a deeply sequenced transcriptome using Illumina sequencing as well as the genome of the tardigrade Hypsibius dujardini revealed a set of five opsin genes. To clarify the phylogenetic position of these genes and to elucidate the evolutionary history of opsins in Panarthropoda (Onychophora + Tardigrada + Arthropoda), we reconstructed the phylogeny of broadly sampled metazoan opsin genes using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods in conjunction with carefully selected substitution models. According to our findings, the opsin repertoire of H. dujardini comprises representatives of all three major bilaterian opsin clades, including one r-opsin, three c-opsins, and a Group 4 opsin (neuropsin/opsin-5). The identification of the tardigrade ortholog of neuropsin/opsin-5 is the first record of this opsin type in a protostome, but our screening of available metazoan genomes revealed that it is also present in other protostomes. Our opsin phylogeny further suggests that two r-opsins, including an "arthropsin", were present in the last common ancestor of Panarthropoda. While both r-opsin lineages were retained in Onychophora and Arthropoda, the "arthropsin" was lost in Tardigrada. The single (most likely visual) r-opsin found in H. dujardini supports the hypothesis of monochromatic vision in the panarthropod ancestor, whereas two duplications of the ancestral panarthropod c-opsin have led to three c-opsins in tardigrades. Although the early-branching nodes are unstable within the metazoans, our findings suggest that the last common ancestor of Bilateria possessed six opsins: two r-opsins, one c-opsin, and three Group 4 opsins, one of which (Go opsin) was lost in the ecdysozoan lineage.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-03-31T15:55:37Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Edivaldo Lima PPGBA_2015.pdf: 1216837 bytes, checksum: a0087d1ed1223b4689da6194020ad828 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-31T15:55:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Edivaldo Lima PPGBA_2015.pdf: 1216837 bytes, checksum: a0087d1ed1223b4689da6194020ad828 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-28 / FACEPE / O pisoteio decorrente do tráfego de pedestres sobre os recifes de coral é um fenômeno associado ao turismo em muitas praias de Pernambuco. No ambiente fital o pisoteio pode afetar as algas e a fauna associada, modificando a estrutura das comunidades. O filo Tardigrada é componente permanente da meiofauna sendo encontrado no sedimento marinho e associado a macroalgas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito do pisoteio sobre os tardígrados associados ao fital dos recifes de Porto de Galinhas, PE. Para isso delineou-se experimentos observacionais e manipulativos com intuito de avaliar o impacto do turismo e das simulações de pisoteio humano sobre a comunidade de Tardigrada. No primeiro experimento foram determinadas estações pareadas ao longo dos recifes, seguindo os limites entre a área protegida e a exposta ao trafego humano, avaliando se a comunidade diferia em consequência do pisoteio. Os tardígrados apresentaram abundâncias aparentemente condicionadas pelo tipo de substrato, mostrando reduções na densidade quando associados a Gelidiela acerosa, e exibindo maior densidade na área impactada quando associados Chodrophicus papillosus. Para o segundo experimento foram determinados transects na área protegida do recife e executados dois níveis de intensidade de pisoteio sobre o substrato recifal. A avaliação do efeito do pisoteio seguiu um desenho experimental BACI (Antes/Depois e Controle/Impacto), sendo as amostras coletadas para monitoramento do nível de recuperação da comunidade com um, dois e três meses após cessado o pisoteio. Como resultado deste trabalho, houve redução das variáveis do substrato algal (biomassa, cobertura, peso do substrato e altura do tapete) e também na densidade de Tardigrada, com valores seguindo uma tendência de redução tanto maior o nível de estresse. Variações locais, foram determinantes para a estrutura da comunidade de Tardigrada, dificultando a compreensão dos efeitos do impacto. O processo de recuperação foi independente da intensidade do distúrbio, alcançando valores estabilizados já no primeiro mês. / The trampling resulting from pedestrian traffic on coral reefs is a phenomenon associated with tourism in many beaches of Pernambuco. In phytal environment the trampling can affect the algae and associated fauna, modifying the structure of communities. The phylum Tardigrada is permanent component of the meiofauna being found in marine sediment and associated with macroalgae. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of trampling on tardigrades associated with the phytal of reefs of Porto de Galinhas, PE. For this were outlined observational and manipulative experiments in order to assess the impact of tourism and simulations of human trampling on the community of tardigrades. In the first experiment were paired certain stations along the reefs, following the boundaries of the protected area and exposed to human traffic, assessing whether the community differed as a result of trampling. The tardigrades presented abundances apparently conditioned by the type of substrate, showing reductions in density when associated with a Gelidiela acerosa, and exhibiting higher density in the impacted area when associated Chodrophicus papillosus. For the second experiment were determined transects in protected reef area and run two levels of intensity of trampling on reef substrate. The evaluation of the effect of trampling followed a experimental design BACI (Before / After and Control / Impact), being the samples collected for monitoring of the level of recovery of the community with one, two and three months after trampling ceased. As a result of this work, there was a reduction of the algal substrate variables (biomass, cover, substrate weight and turf height) and also the density of tardigrades, with values following a trend of greater reduction in both the level of stress. Local variations were crucial to the structure of the tardigrades community, making the understanding of the effects of the impact difficult. The recovery process was independent of the intensity of the disturbance, reaching values stabilized in the first month.

The Linnean Society of London Milnesium, with its relatively short and wide buccal tube, is considered carnivorous. Species in this genus exhibit differences in buccal tube length, standard buccal tube width, and the buccal tube length/width ratio. To determine whether buccal tube size is correlated with the type of prey, ˜4000 specimens of various Milnesium species were examined. Among those with identifiable gut contents, ˜97% contained tardigrades, rotifers, or both, whereas only ˜3% contained nematodes or amoebas. In total, 189 females with guts containing only tardigrades, only rotifers, or both were analysed with general linear model multivariate analysis. Milnesium specimens containing only tardigrade remnants were larger and had longer and wider buccal tubes than those containing only rotifers. Those with only tardigrades in the gut also had a significantly lower buccal tube length to width ratio than those with only rotifers in the gut. Specimens with a mixed diet (rotifers and tardigrades) had intermediate values of buccal tube width and length, and these differed significantly from individuals containing rotifers or tardigrades only. Variation in buccal tube dimensions was linked with interspecific and age (size)-related factors, and differences in buccal tube dimensions associated with gut content remained significant, even when the analysis was controlled for the interspecific variation. No evidence of cannibalism was observed.

The contents of the application to the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature, case 3017, are presented with an explanation of how its publication fell between the third and fourth editions of the Code. In so doing, the genus Pseudobiotus Nelson, 1980 (In: Schuster, Nelson, Grigarick & Christenberry, 1980) was left without a type species, which is hereby designated under article 70 of the fourth edition of the code.

In the present study a character data set suitable for cladistic analysis at the family level was developed. A data matrix consisting of 50 morphological characters from 15 families of tardigrades was analyzed by maximum parsimony. Kinorhynchs, loriciferans, and gastrotrichs were used as outgroups. The results agree with the currently accepted hypothesis that Eutardigrada and Heterotardigrada are distinct monophyletic groups. Among the eutardigrades, Eohypsibiidae was found to be a sister group to Macrobiotidae + Hypsibiidae, while Milnesiidae was the basal eutardigrade family. The basal heterotardigrade family was found to be Oreellidae. Echiniscoideans grouped with some traditional Arthrotardigrada (Renaudarctidae, Coronarctidae + Batillipedidae) suggesting that the arthrotardigrades are not monophyletic. The 18S rRNA gene sequence of Batillipes mirus Richters, 1909 and Calohypsibius schusteri Nelson & McGlothlin, 1996 were obtained and their addition to a previously published dataset supports the monophyly of Heterotardigrada and of Parachela versus Apochela within the Eutardigrada.

Significant differences occurred in the density of tardigrades, rotifers, and nematodes and the diversity of tardigrades between collecting sites located upwind and downwind from a coal-burning power plant in Missouri. The oak tree species and lichen genera also varied in the two areas. Tardigrade and rotifer densities were greater in upwind sites, whereas nematode density was higher in downwind samples. One tardigrade species (Ramazzottius sp.) was found only at the upwind sites, and one species (Echiniscus sp.) was only in the downwind samples. In contrast, three species (Macrobiotus sp., Minibiotus sp., and Milnesium tardigradum) were found both upwind and downwind but in different densities in the two areas. The study presents baseline data for long-term monitoring of the effects of environmental factors on nematode and rotifer densities as well as tardigrade density and diversity.

The Central American Isthmus has had profound effects on the evolution and distribution of larger marine organisms, but the impacts on meiobenthic animals have received little attention. Tardigrades are microscopic metazoan lobopodians that are ubiquitous in benthic communities worldwide, but little is known about marine tardigrades in Central America. Only two marine tardigrades have been identified to species level in all of Central America, and these came from a single sample of barnacles from El Salvador collected in 1953. Additionally, multiple haplotypes of Echiniscoides were reported from Costa Rica and Panama, but species names were not assigned. Here we report an extensive survey of both intertidal and subtidal marine tardigrades from both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Costa Rica. We found 701 individuals in 65 samples. There was a total of 19 taxa, including seven species with a sufficient quality and quantity of specimens to describe here as new to science. The new species are Archechiniscus murilloi sp. nov., Batillipes homocercus sp. nov., Batillipes ichthyocercus sp. nov., Echiniscoides costaricensis sp. nov., Echiniscoides ritavargasae sp. nov., Styraconyx vargasi sp. nov. and Tanarctus breedyae sp. nov. Ten taxa were found only in the Caribbean, six were found only in the Pacific, and three were found on both coasts. We discuss the three species with trans-isthmus distributions and note two additional candidate geminate species pairs that warrant further investigation.

Fujimoto, S. (2015) Quisarctus yasumurai gen. et sp. nov. (Arthrotardigrada: Halechiniscidae) from a submarine cave, off Iejima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Zootaxa. 3948 (1): 145-150. Fujimoto, S. (2014) A new Stygarctus (Arthrotardigrada: Stygarctidae) from Japan, with entangled seminal receptacle ducts. Zootaxa. Magnolia Press. 3784 (2): 187-195. / 京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第19533号 / 理博第4193号 / 新制||理||1602(附属図書館) / 32569 / 京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻 / (主査)教授 疋田 努, 教授 沼田 英治, 教授 曽田 貞滋 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Tardigrades were collected from three seepage spring sites at 549m on Short Mountain, Cannon County, Tennessee. Three terrestrial samples and three aquatic samples were taken monthly from each site. Terrestrial samples included mosses and lichens from rocks and fallen trees; one sample of leaf litter was also collected from two of the sites. Aquatic samples included sediment, decaying leaf litter, and aquatic plants. Specimens of tardigrades were mounted on individual slides in Hoyer's medium. Species were identified and photographed using phase and differential contrast microscopy. Twenty-eight species representing 13 genera were recorded: Pseudechiniscus, Echiniscus, Doryphoribius, Ramazzottius, Hypsibius, Isohypsibius, Diphascon, Platicrista, Itaquascon, Murrayon, Macrobiotus, Minibiotus, and Milnesium. One of the Pseudechiniscus species and an Isohypsibius species were new to science and are described in this paper.