Notes on the Revision of the Genus Mopsechiniscus (Tardigrada)

Evolutionary scenarios for the origin of an Antarctic tardigrade species based on molecular clock analyses and biogeographic data

“…The distribution of Mopsechiniscus species point to a Gondwanan distribution for the genus, as has already been hypothesized (Dastych and Moscal, 1992;Dastych, 2001). However, ecological data on Mopsechiniscus species are very limited (see Dastych, 2001). The species of this genus have been found in moss and lichens, rarely liverworts, at different altitudes.…”

“…b-e Distribution of the extant Mopsechiniscus species (spots) mapped on the distribution of lands ca. landmass maps to define their distribution patterns (Richters, 1907(Richters, , 1920Du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1944;Ramazzotti, 1962;Mihelčič, 1967Mihelčič, , 1971Grigarick et al, 1983;Binda and Kristensen, 1986;Kristensen, 1987;Rossi and Claps, 1989;Ottesen and Meier, 1990;Rossi et al, 2009;Dastych and Moscal, 1992;Dastych, 1999aDastych, , b c, 2000Dastych, , 2001Kaczmarek et al, 2014;Guidetti et al, 2014;Roszkowska et al, 2016).…”

“…In sub-Antarctic islands, Mospechiniscus was found at 70-700 m a.s.l., in Tierra del Fuego at ca. 1000 m (above the tree line), in subtropical and/or cloud forest from 50 m up to 2000 m, suggesting a mountain and/or subpolar character of the genus (Dastych, 2001). The Antarctic species (M. franciscae) used in this study was found in a large patch of moss growing on gravel soil in a very small valley at Crater Cirque (Guidetti et al, 2014), while the South American species (M. granulosus) was collected at Angol in Chile, though the original substrate was not reported (Jørgensen et al, 2011).…”

“…Mopsechiniscus schus teri Dastych, 1999 has been reported from Venezuela (Grigarick et al, 1983;Dastych, 1999a) and Costa Rica (Kaczmarek et al, 2014); and Mopsechiniscus granulosus Mihelčič, 1967 has been reported from several Argentinean localities (Mihelčič, 1967(Mihelčič, , 1971Binda and Kristensen, 1986;Kristensen, 1987;Rossi and Claps, 1989;Dastych, 2000;Rossi et al, 2009;Roszkowska et al, 2016) and Chile (Ramazzotti, 1962;Dastych and Moscal, 1992;Dastych, 2000). According to Dastych (1999aDastych ( , 2001, there are two relaxed clock and tree prior as defined in Table 1 (relaxed exponential clock Reymond Marcus, 1944), and Chile. The distribution of Mopsechiniscus species point to a Gondwanan distribution for the genus, as has already been hypothesized (Dastych and Moscal, 1992;Dastych, 2001).…”

“…According to Dastych (1999aDastych ( , 2001, there are two relaxed clock and tree prior as defined in Table 1 (relaxed exponential clock Reymond Marcus, 1944), and Chile. The distribution of Mopsechiniscus species point to a Gondwanan distribution for the genus, as has already been hypothesized (Dastych and Moscal, 1992;Dastych, 2001). However, ecological data on Mopsechiniscus species are very limited (see Dastych, 2001).…”