Zoological Museum > Collections > Invertebrates > Aschelminthes
PLATYLMINTHES, ASCHELMINTHES, AND PROARTHROPODA
Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen (ZMUC) has a long history in the study of "Lower Worms" (Platyhelminthes, Nemertina and Aschelminthes) and the so-called Proarthropods (Tardigrada, Onychophora and Pentastomida).
Particularly significant are the type materials of former curators, including the large collections of Levinsen (Trematoda), Krabbe (Cestoda) and Ditlevsen (Nematoda). Especially the collection of Ditlevsen (about 7000 microslides) is one of the earliest collections of free- living nematodes in the world, and historically this microslide collection is very important, as it dates from early this century.
The collection of proarthropods also contains important material from several major expeditions in which ZMUC has been involved. Especially the small Onychophora collection has been lent several times. The terrestrial onychophorans are now all treated as endangered species. The ZMUC collection contains 21 described and 3 undescribed species of the total of 90 species that are known in the world.
The tardigrade collections are perhaps the most important collections held anywhere in the world, partly because they include both the marine, limnic and terrestrial type materials of Thulin (1911, 1928) and Pedersen (1951), but also because of the sheer size of this collection, with more than 20,000 microslides containing about half of all the 700 described species of the phylum.
ZMUC has the type material of the first described loriciferan, Nanaloricus mysticus and the other eight described species of this recently described phylum. Furthermore the loriciferan collection of ZMUC includes 73 undescribed species collected especially from the deep sea and polar regions.
The type material of Symbion pandora, the only described species of the most recently described phylum, Cycliophora, is also housed in the ZMUC.
Current research:
Taxonomy and phylogeny of Aschelminthes, with particular emphasis on Gnathostomulida, Kinorhyncha and Loricifera.
Monographic studies on Loricifera from Roscoff (France) and the Faroes Bank (North Atlantic). Description of a new group of Aschelminthes from homothermic springs (Greenland).
Responsible curators:
Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen (Cycliophora, Gastrotricha, Loricifera, Myxozoa, Nemertea, Onychophora, Pentastomida, Platyhelminthes, Tardigrada) and
Martin Vinther Sørensen (Acantocephala, Gnathostomulida, Kinorhyncha, Micrognathozoa, Nematoda, Nematomorpha, Priapulida, Rotifera)
Other staff: Majken Them Tøttrup (Assistent curator)
