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Mesotardigrada

Dubious class of tardigrades

Dubious class of tardigrades

Mesotardigrada is one of three classes of tardigrades, consisting of a single species, Thermozodium esakii. The animal reportedly has six claws of equal length at each foot. This species was described in 1937 by German zoologist Gilbert Rahm from a hot spring near Nagasaki, Japan. The inability of taxonomists to replicate Rahm's finding has cast doubt on the accuracy of the description, making T. esakii, and by extension the entire class Mesotardigrada, a taxon inquirendum.

Taxonomic ambiguity

The type specimen Rahm used as the basis of his description has either been lost or it was never preserved in the first place, which Grothman et al. (2017) suggest is consistent with the maudia dards of the 1930s. Thus, re-examination of the original specimen is not possible. Complicating matters further, the type locality from which Rahm collected his specimen may have been destroyed by an earthquake and subsequent searches for additional specimens matching the original description have been unsuccessful.

Grothman et al. (2017) suggest that Rahm might have observed and misinterpreted a species in the class Heterotardigrada, possibly belonging to the genus Carphania or Oreella.

References

References

  1. {{ITIS
  2. [http://www.ubio.org/NZ/detail.php?d=1&uid=231085 Nomenclator Zoologicus Record Detail]. Ubio.org. Retrieved on 17 October 2011.
  3. [http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=596202 Namebank Record Detail]. Ubio.org (8 August 2003). Retrieved on 17 October 2011.
  4. "ION: Index to Organism Names". Organismnames.com.
  5. [http://data.gbif.org/species/13853106 Data Use Agreement – GBIF Portal]. Data.gbif.org (22 February 2007). Retrieved on 17 October 2011.
  6. [http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2010/details/species/id/6845995/source/tree 2010 Annual Checklist :: Species details]. Catalogue of Life (28 November 2006). Retrieved on 17 October 2011.
  7. [http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2010/details/reference/species/6845995 2010 Annual Checklist :: Literature references]. Catalogue of Life. Retrieved on 17 October 2011.
  8. "micro*scope – version 6.0 – March, 2006". Starcentral.mbl.edu.
  9. [http://www.eol.org/pages/1053783 Thermozodium esakii – Encyclopedia of Life]{{Dead link. (July 2020)
          1. 596204 Namebank Record Detail]. Ubio.org (8 August 2003). Retrieved on 17 October 2011.
  11. Nelson, Diane R.. (2002). "Current Status of the Tardigrada: Evolution and Ecology". Integrative and Comparative Biology.
  12. (February 2017). "Gilbert Rahm and the Status of Mesotardigrada Rahm, 1937". Zoological Science.
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tardigrades ecdysozoa-classes monotypic-animal-classes nomina-dubia
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