World Congress of Malacology Antwerp ... - Unitas Malacologica

fine taxonomic level. We have now identified cases of tRNA identity change between isoaccepting
leucines from LCUN to LUUR as well as from LUUR to LCUN, and have one genome with three leucine
tRNAs. Finally, gene order changes can provide compelling phylogenetic markers that can
supplement or contradict primary sequence data, and provide resolution for deeper nodes that are
often weakly supported in sequence-based phylogenies. We have found several mitochondrial gene
order changes that are phylogenetically informative within the Vermetidae. These markers are
helping us to improve our phylogenetic hypothesis for the enigmatic Vermetidae and to investigate
the conditions under which sequence-based phylogenies lack resolution or prove misleading.
Comparative anatomy of soft-body characters of Caudofoveata with emphasis on the nervous
system
Redl, Emanuel; Salvini-Plawen, Luitfried
University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Center of Zoology, Department of Evolutionary
Biology, EF: Molecular Phylogenetics, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria,
Email: a9300632@unet.univie.ac.at; luitfried.salvini-plawen@univie.ac.at
Among specialists there is still some discussion on the definition of genera and families in the
Caudofoveata. Since the current taxonomy and systematics of this group are almost exclusively based
on the morphology of hard parts, i.e. the radula and the sclerites, these structures are very well
investigated. Data on soft-body anatomy, in contrast, is often not very detailed or completely lacking,
especially in recent publications. Hence the discrepancies mentioned above obviously cannot be
solved by the investigation of hard parts alone, more knowledge on the soft-body anatomy of these
animals is desirable. Promising character complexes in this respect are for example the various
muscle systems (e.g. the pedal-shield and ctenidial retractors or the radula musculature) and the
nervous system which is the main focus in this study. The anatomy of the nervous system and its
variation has been studied using serial sections of several species from four genera (Scutopus
ventrolineatus Salvini-Plawen, 1968; Psilodens elongatus (Salvini-Plawen, 1972); Prochaetoderma
raduliferum (Kowalevsky, 1901); P. californicum Schwabl, 1963; Falcidens crossotus Salvini-
Plawen, 1968; F. gutturosus (Kowalevsky, 1901)) representing all families (Limifossoridae,
Prochaetodermatidae, Chaetodermatidae). The usefulness of some characters, such as the number of
precerebral ganglia, is doubtful due to a potential high variability. Other characters, such as the
anatomy and histology of the cerebral ganglia, show variations, which seem to be of systematic
significance. We present a selection of our results and discuss the systematic value of the nervous
system in Caudofoveata at different hierarchic levels and the consequences for caudofoveate
systematics.
Preliminary data on a new species of Kruppomenia
(Simrothiellidae, Cavibelonia, Solenogastres) from Norwegian waters
Redl, Emanuel 1 ; Salvini-Plawen, Luitfried 1 ; Schander, Christoffer 2
1. University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Center of Zoology, Department of
Evolutionary Biology, EF: Molecular Phylogenetics, Althanstraße 14, A-1090
Vienna, Austria,
Email: a9300632@unet.univie.ac.at; luitfried.salvini-plawen@univie.ac.at
2. University of Bergen, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen,
Norway and Centre for GeoBiology, Allegaten 41, N-5007 Bergen, Norway,
Email: christoffer.schander@bio.uib.no
Despite the fact that the Scandinavian waters are probably the best investigated region in the world in
relation to the two groups of aplacophoran molluscs (Caudofoveata and Solenogastres), new research
still yield samples containing species hitherto unknown to science. Here the first data on a new
species of Kruppomenia Nierstrasz, 1903 from Norwegian waters is presented. So far, there are seven
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