title: Phylogeny of Eutardigrada: new molecular data and their morphological support lead to the identification of new evolutionary lineages.
abstract: An extensive study of the phylogeny of Eutardigrada, the largest class of Tardigrada, has been performed analyzing one hundred and forty sequences (eighty of which newly obtained) representative of one hundred and twenty-nine specimens belonging to all families (except Necopinatidae) of this class. The molecular (18S and 28S rRNA) results were compared with new and previous morphological data, allowing us to find new phylogenetic relationships, to identify new phylogenetic lineages, to erect new taxa for some lineages, and to find several morphological synapomorphies supporting the identified clusters. The class Eutardigrada has been confirmed and, within it, the orders Apochela and Parachela, the superfamilies Macrobiotoidea, Hypsibioidea, Isohypsibioidea, and Eohypsibioidea, and all the families and subfamilies considered, although with emended diagnoses in several cases. In addition, new taxa have been erected: the new subfamily Pilatobiinae (Hypsibiidae) with the new genus Pilatobius, as well as an upgrading of Diphascon and Adropion to genus level, previously considered subgenera of Diphascon. Our results demonstrate that while molecular analysis is an important tool for understanding phylogeny, an integrative and comparative approach using both molecular and morphological data is necessary to better elucidate evolutionary relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Human Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, via Allegri 9, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.bertolani@unimore.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bertolani
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, via Campi 213/D, 41125 Modena, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.guidetti@unimore.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guidetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, via Campi 213/D, 41125 Modena, Italy. Electronic address: trevor.marchioro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marchioro
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Human Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, via Allegri 9, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy. Electronic address: tiziana.altiero@unimore.it.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Altiero
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, via Campi 213/D, 41125 Modena, Italy. Electronic address: lorena.rebecchi@unimore.it.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rebecchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, via Campi 213/D, 41125 Modena, Italy. Electronic address: michele.cesari@unimore.it.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cesari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D058467:Tardigrada / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012335:RNA, Ribosomal
keywords: Integrative taxonomy; Molecular phylogeny; Molecular systematics; Morphology; Pilatobiinae subfam. nov; Pilatobius gen. nov; Tardigrada