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Rough backs: taxonomic value of epicuticular sculpturing in the genus Milnesium Doyère, 1840 (Tardigrada: Apochela). Sci Rep 2022; 12:9857. [PMID: 35701458 PMCID: PMC9197921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10758-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Tardigrada comprises ~ 1400 described species that inhabit a wide range of ecosystems throughout the globe. Tardigrades are generally considered taxonomically challenging due to a strongly limited number of taxonomically informative morphological traits and microscopic size. Of all tardigrade groups, the taxonomy of Milnesium Doyère, 1840 is particularly difficult because in comparison with most other eutardigrades, the genus lacks the taxonomically informative egg shell ornamentation and/or placoids in the muscle pharynx. Therefore, any new morphological traits that could be used in species delineation and identification are priceless. In this contribution, we review and evaluate taxonomic value of the dorsal cuticle morphology. Specifically, by means of experimental taxonomy, we demonstrate the first extreme case of ontogenetic variability in dorsal epicuticle sculpturing using a new species from Portugal, Milnesium decorumsp. nov. Furthermore, we verify the existence of dorsal gibbosities in Milnesium reticulatum Pilato, Binda, Lisi, 2002, the only species of the genus allegedly exhibiting these structures. Finally, we provide a diagnostic key to the Milnesium granulatum morphogroup.
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Mapalo MA, Robin N, Boudinot BE, Ortega-Hernández J, Barden P. A tardigrade in Dominican amber. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211760. [PMID: 34610770 PMCID: PMC8493197 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tardigrades are a diverse group of charismatic microscopic invertebrates that are best known for their ability to survive extreme conditions. Despite their long evolutionary history and global distribution in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, the tardigrade fossil record is exceedingly sparse. Molecular clocks estimate that tardigrades diverged from other panarthropod lineages before the Cambrian, but only two definitive crown-group representatives have been described to date, both from Cretaceous fossil deposits in North America. Here, we report a third fossil tardigrade from Miocene age Dominican amber. Paradoryphoribius chronocaribbeus gen. et sp. nov. is the first unambiguous fossil representative of the diverse superfamily Isohypsibioidea, as well as the first tardigrade fossil described from the Cenozoic. We propose that the patchy tardigrade fossil record can be explained by the preferential preservation of these microinvertebrates as amber inclusions, coupled with the scarcity of fossiliferous amber deposits before the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A. Mapalo
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Ninon Robin
- Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brendon E. Boudinot
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, One Shields Avenue, Davis 94596, CA, USA
| | - Javier Ortega-Hernández
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Phillip Barden
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA
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Miller WR, Miller JD. Tardigrades of North America: Platicrista brunsoni nov. sp. (Parachela, Hypsibiidae, Itaquasconinae) from the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area of Montana. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3955/046.095.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William R. Miller
- Department of Biology, Baker University, 615 Dearborn, Baldwin City, Kansas 66006 and
| | - Jeffrey D. Miller
- Biological Research and Education Consultants, 446 Dearborn, Missoula, Montana 59801
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Suma HR, Prakash S, Eswarappa SM. Naturally occurring fluorescence protects the eutardigrade Paramacrobiotus sp. from ultraviolet radiation. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200391. [PMID: 33050831 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Naturally occurring fluorescence has been observed in multiple species ranging from bacteria to birds. In macroscopic animals such as birds, fluorescence provides a visual communication signal. However, the functional significance of this phenomenon is unknown in most cases. Though photoprotection is attributed to fluorescence under ultraviolet (UV) light in some organisms, it lacks direct experimental evidence. Here, we demonstrate naturally occurring fluorescence under UV light in a eutardigrade belonging to the genus Paramacrobiotus. Using a natural variant that lacks fluorescence, we show that the fluorescence confers tolerance to lethal UV radiation. Remarkably, the fluorescent extract from Paramacrobiotus sp. could protect the UV-sensitive tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris and nematode Caenorhabditis elegans from germicidal UV radiation. We propose that Paramacrobiotus sp. possess a protective fluorescent shield that absorbs harmful UV radiation and emits harmless blue light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harikumar R Suma
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012 Karnataka, India
| | - Swathi Prakash
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012 Karnataka, India
| | - Sandeep M Eswarappa
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012 Karnataka, India
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Morek W, Blagden B, Kristensen RM, Michalczyk Ł. The analysis of inter- and intrapopulation variability of Milnesium eurystomum Maucci, 1991 reveals high genetic divergence and a novel type of ontogenetic variation in the order Apochela. SYST BIODIVERS 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2020.1771469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Witold Morek
- Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, Kraków, 30-387, Poland
| | - Brian Blagden
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Inverdee House, Baxter Street, Aberdeen AB11 9QA, UK
| | - Reinhardt M. Kristensen
- Section of Biosystematics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen Ø, DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Łukasz Michalczyk
- Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, Kraków, 30-387, Poland
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Analysis of Encystment, Excystment, and Cyst Structure in Freshwater Eutardigrade Thulinius ruffoi (Tardigrada, Isohypsibioidea: Doryphoribiidae). DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12020062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Encystment in tardigrades is relatively poorly understood. It is seen as an adaptive strategy evolved to withstand unfavorable environmental conditions. This process is an example of the epigenetic, phenotypic plasticity which is closely linked to the molting process. Thulinius ruffoi is a freshwater eutardigrade and a representative of one of the biggest eutardigrade orders. This species is able to form cysts. The ovoid-shaped cysts of this species are known from nature, but cysts may also be obtained under laboratory conditions. During encystment, the animals undergo profound morphological changes that result in cyst formation. The animals surround their bodies with cuticles that isolate them from the environment. These cuticles form a cuticular capsule (cyst wall) which is composed of three cuticles. Each cuticle is morphologically distinct. The cuticles that form the cuticular capsule are increasingly simplified. During encystment, only one, unmodified and possibly functional buccal-pharyngeal apparatus was found to be formed. Apart from the feeding apparatus, the encysted specimens also possess a set of claws, and their body is covered with its own cuticle. As a consequence, the encysted animals are fully adapted to the active life after leaving the cyst capsule.
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Morrow JJ, Elowsky C. Application of Autofluorescence for Confocal Microscopy to Aid in Archaeoparasitological Analyses. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2019; 57:581-585. [PMID: 31914508 PMCID: PMC6960251 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2019.57.6.581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to examine archaeoparasitological specimens from coprolites associated with La Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos (CMC) located near present-day Durango, Mexico. The eggs for 4 different types of parasites recovered from CMC coprolites were imaged using CLSM to assist with identification efforts. While some of the parasite eggs recovered from CMC coprolites were readily identified using standard light microscopy (LM), CLSM provided useful data for more challenging identifications by highlighting subtle morphological features and enhancing visualization of parasite egg anatomy. While other advanced microscopy techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), may also detect cryptic identifying characters, CLSM is less destructive to the specimens. Utilizing CLSM allows for subsequent examinations, such as molecular analyses, that cannot be performed following SEM sample preparation and imaging. Furthermore, CLSM detects intrinsic autofluorescence molecules, making improved identification independent of resource and time-intensive protocols. These aspects of CLSM make it an excellent method for assisting in taxonomic identification and for acquiring more detailed images of archaeoparasitological specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnica Jo Morrow
- Pre-Health Pathways, Student Success Center, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA.,Pathoecology and Palynology Laboratory, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68503, USA
| | - Christian Elowsky
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
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Guidetti R, Massa E, Bertolani R, Rebecchi L, Cesari M. Increasing knowledge of Antarctic biodiversity: new endemic taxa of tardigrades (Eutardigrada; Ramazzottiidae) and their evolutionary relationships. SYST BIODIVERS 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2019.1649737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Guidetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213/D, Modena, 41125, Italy
| | - Edoardo Massa
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213/D, Modena, 41125, Italy
| | - Roberto Bertolani
- Department of Education and Humanities, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Allegri, 9, Reggio Emilia, 42121, Italy
- Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona, Lungadige Porta Vittoria 9, Verona, 37129, Italy
| | - Lorena Rebecchi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213/D, Modena, 41125, Italy
| | - Michele Cesari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213/D, Modena, 41125, Italy
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Perry ES, Miller WR. Echiniscoides wyethi, a new marine tardigrade from Maine, U.S.A. (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscoidea: Echiniscoididae). P BIOL SOC WASH 2015. [DOI: 10.2988/0006-324x-128.1.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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