Ciona intestinalis is a model chordate in various fields of biology. Molecular studies have identified two forms, named “type A” and “type B”, as putative cryptic species, leading to the hypothesis of a complex of species. We compared their morphology and found that only type A possesses tunic tubercular prominences, allowing unambiguous discrimination. We found that Ciona robusta Hoshino & Tokioka, 1967 corresponds to C. intestinalis type A and that Ciona intestinalis (Linnaeus, 1767) corresponds to C. intestinsalis type B.

We analyze the largest molecular dataset for gerbils and deomyines. Results were concordant with previous molecular phylogenies and discordant with morphological phylogenies. None of the traditional gerbil tribes and subtribes were monophyletic; several gerbil genera and subgenera were paraphyletic; and some gerbil and deomyine species were synonymous. The size of the tympanic bulla and skulls were determined with outline analysis and phylogenetic comparative analyses indicated that the discordance between morphological phylogenies and molecular phylogenies of gerbils are due in part to convergent adaptations to enlarged bullae in arid environments (the left auditory bulla of a Pachyuromys is highlighted in blue).