Title
Tardigrade Phylogenetic Systematics at the Family Level Using Morphological and Molecular Data
Date of Award
Fall 2012
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Science (MSc)
Department
Biology
Supervisor
Jonathon R. Stone
Co-Supervisor
G. Brian Golding
Language
English
Committee Member
Ben Evans
Abstract
Tardigrade phylogenetic systematic analyses have been conducted using morphological and molecular data; however, incongruencies between results obtained independently with the data types have been found. This thesis contains new morphological and molecular phylogenetic systematic analyses of tardigrades at the family level, building on previous research. The first part involves morphological data, the second part involves molecular data, and the third part involves combined morphological and molecular data. The morphological data include 50 characters for 15 tardigrade families. The molecular data include updated 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and COI gene sequences, in two sets; the first set provides the most-extensive representation of tardigrade families and comprises 18S rRNA sequences; the second set provides the most-complete representation of molecular data per species, where available, and involves the concatenation of 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and COI gene sequences. Finally, the combined data involves a supermatrix containing morphological and molecular data. The analyses are used to test results from previous systematics research and to contribute more information to tardigrade systematics.
Recommended Citation
Cheung, Carmen M., "Tardigrade Phylogenetic Systematics at the Family Level Using Morphological and Molecular Data" (2012). Open Access Dissertations and Theses. Paper 7522.
http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/7522
McMaster University Library
Included in
Bioinformatics Commons, Evolution Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons