Tactopoda

Tactopoda is a proposed clade of protostome animals that includes the phyla Tardigrada and Euarthropoda, supported by various morphological observations. The cladogram below shows the relationships implied by this hypothesis. The competing hypothesis is that Arthropoda sensu lato (= Euarthropoda + Onychophora, the arthropods and the velvet worms) is monophyletic, and tardigrades lie outside this grouping.

Tactopoda

Tactopoda is a proposed clade of protostome animals that includes the phyla Tardigrada and Euarthropoda, supported by various morphological observations. The cladogram below shows the relationships implied by this hypothesis. The competing hypothesis is that Arthropoda sensu lato (= Euarthropoda + Onychophora, the arthropods and the velvet worms) is monophyletic, and tardigrades lie outside this grouping.