Katrine Worsaae received her PhD from the University of Copenhagen in 2004. She is now associate research professor at the University of Copenhagen. Her research centers around the morphology and evolution of interstitial and microscopic Annelida—and evolutionary hypotheses such as progenesis. During postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Adelaide, she established a collaboration with Greg Rouse and started a detailed study of Diurodrilus. This cooperative study ultimately led to the award-winning paper published in this issue of the Journal of Morphology.
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Research Article/Winner of the Reinhard Rieger Award in Zoomorphology, 1st International Congress on Invertebrate Morphology, Copenhagen, 17–22 August 2008
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Is Diurodrilus an annelid?
Article first published online: 4 NOV 2008
DOI: 10.1002/jmor.10686
Copyright © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Additional Information
How to Cite
Worsaae, K. and Rouse, G. W. (2008), Is Diurodrilus an annelid?. Journal of Morphology, 269: 1426–1455. doi: 10.1002/jmor.10686
Publication History
- Issue published online: 12 NOV 2008
- Article first published online: 4 NOV 2008
Funded by
- Carlsberg Foundation
- Danish Natural Science Research Council
- University of Copenhagen
- NSF. Grant Number: #0334932
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- interstitial;
- meiofauna;
- paedomorphosis;
- evolution;
- systematic position
Abstract
Interstitial marine meiofaunal worms of the genus Diurodrilus have always been considered part of Annelida, either as basal or derived, though generally with reference to Dinophilidae. New evidence shows that Diurodrilus has a unique anatomy, and lacks key annelid features, possibly even segmentation. We assessed the systematic position of Diurodrilus among other protostome animals via light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy studies of anatomy, focusing on musculature, the nervous system, as well as molecular sequence data. We show that there is little morphological or molecular evidence to support a relationship with Dinophilidae or any other annelids. Diurodrilus has some similarities to Micrognathozoa, though the latter shows complex jaws. On the basis of the configuration of the nervous system and the cuticle we regard Diurodrilus to belong to Spiralia, possibly close to Annelida; however, until further evidence is acquired it should be regarded as incertae sedis in this large animal clade. J. Morphol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.