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| | Integrative and Comparative Biology: Current status of the tardigrada: Evolution and ecology (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08) |
 | | The two main classes are separated on the basis of taxonomic characters of the claws and/or sucking disks, cuticle, cephalic appendages, buccal apparatus, and reproductive structures. |
 | | The class Heterotardigrada is characterized by the presence of cephalic, trunk and leg appendages; gonopore separated from anus; Malpighian tubules lacking; placoids consisting of three CaCO^sub 3^ elements or three delicate, bar-shaped cuticular structures (Ramazzotti and Maucci, 1983; Kristensen, 1987). |
 | | In contrast, the class Eutardigrada has cephalic papillae only in the Apochela (non-homologous to the cephalic appendages in heterotardigrades); gonopore and anus combined to form a cloaca; Malpighian tubules present; placoids consisting of three sets of thickened cuticular structures (Ramazzotti and Maucci, 1983; Schuster et al., 1980; Guidi and Rebecchi, 1996; and others). |
| www.zoeticzone.com /p/articles/mi_qa4054/is_200206/ai_n9119144 (1209 words) |
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