What does Onychophora mean?
What does Onychophora mean?
onychophoran. / (ˌɒnɪˈkɒfərən) / noun. any wormlike terrestrial invertebrate of the phylum Onychophora, having a segmented body, short unjointed limbs, and breathing by means of tracheae: intermediate in structure and evolutionary development between annelids and arthropods.
Which phyla are being linked by Onychophora?
Panarthropoda. Two small animal phyla, Onychophora (velvet worms, Figure 1(g)) and Tardigrada (water bears, Figure 1(h)), are considered to be closely related to arthropods – the three phyla together being known as Panarthropoda (sometimes also referred as Aiolopoda, see Ortega‐Hernández, 2014).
How many Onychophora are there?
Approximately 200 species of velvet worms have been described, although the true number of species is likely greater. The two extant families of velvet worms are Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae….Onychophora.
| Onychophora Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Clade: | Nephrozoa |
| (unranked): | Protostomia |
| Superphylum: | Ecdysozoa |
| (unranked): | Panarthropoda |
Does Onychophora molt?
Like arthropods, both onychophorans and tardigrades periodically molt an external cuticle, and lobopods and arthropods are sometimes grouped together as the Panarthropoda.
Does Onychophora have segmentation?
Onychophorans are not as clearly segmented as arthropods, lack tagmosis, and do not possess segmented limbs.
How do Onychophora eat?
Despite their apparently gentle appearance, velvet worms are voracious and active carnivores, feasting on other small invertebrates (for example, termites, woodlice and small spiders) that they encounter during their travels. Velvet worms capture their prey by squirting sticky slime from their oral tubes.
What is the importance of Peripatus?
Hint: Peripatus is very important in terms of understanding evolution. It is recognized as the zoologically important connecting link between the Annelida, or segmented worms, and the Arthropoda, such as crabs, spiders, and insects.
Where are Peripatus found?
A common genus is Peripatus, found in the West Indies, Central America, and the northern parts of South America. About 20 species of Peripatus are known. They have an elongated body consisting of 14 to 44 trunk segments, each having a pair of short legs.
Do velvet worms have segmented nerve ganglia?
We present evidence that the onychophoran “ventral organs,” previously interpreted as segmental anlagen of the nervous system, do not contribute to nerve cord formation and therefore cannot be regarded as vestiges of segmental ganglia.