Phylogenomic analyses of mud dragons (Kinorhyncha)

Robust phylogenomic hypothesis for Kinorhyncha based on 21 de novo assembled transcriptomes from 15 genera. Kinorhynch diversity is organized into 5 main lineages, including the new clade Anomoirhaga nom. nov. The enigmatic Cateria styx is now an allomalorhagid positioned within Anomoirhaga nom. nov. together with Dracoderes, Paracentrophyes and Franciscideres. Indistinctly segmented, aberrant forms evolved independently at least three times, once in Cyclorhagida and twice in Allomalorhagida. Segmentation evolved before kinorhynch diversification.