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Kinorhyncha

“movable snout”

Photo by Y. Tsukii at Protist Information Server, URL: http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/Protist_menuE.html

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This phylum's 'place' relative to other phyla: Metazoan Triploploblast Ecdysozoa Cycloneuralia Cephalorhyncha	Selected taxa within this taxon: Class

150 species

Characteristics

molting chitonous cuticle.

eversible introvert on anterior end (as in nemtamorphan larvae, prapulids, and locifera).

cuticle, musculature, and nervous system distinctly segmented (13) unlike most other cycloneuralians

ring of curved spines (scalids) on first segment and spines and adhesive tubes on trunk; used for crawling

mieofaunal in interstitial spaces (i.e. small < 1mm)

Phylogeny

The Kinorhyncha have traditionaly been allied to the Rotifera due to some morphological similariites (e.g. cuticle, protonephridia and syncitial epidermis). Their digestive tract and musculature is more similar to nematodes. Now, molecular sequence data indicate a close relationship with other ecdyzoan, cycloneulia, and cephaloryhyncha (increasing closeness respectively). In light of these findings, morphological data have been re-examined. What morphological characteristics support relationship with other ecdyzoan, cycloneulia, and cephaloryhyncha?

Lecture Sources:

Pechenik. Jan A. 2000. Biology of the Invertebrates. McGraw-Hill, New York.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/taxaform.html University of California Museum of Paleontology.

http://www.teaching-biomed.man.ac.uk/bs1999/bs146/biodiversity/metadiv.htm Graham Davison University of Manchester SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES.

http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/courses/Tatner/biomedia/home/home.htm Glasgow University Zoology Museum

http://biodidac.bio.uottawa.ca/ BIODIDAC:A bank of digital resources for teaching biology

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