Abstract
Morphological, physiological, and ecological adaptations of bdelloid rotifers (phylum Rotifera, class Bdelloidea) to the conditions of soil and land biocenoses are described. The morphological structures, obligate parthenogenesis, and anhydrobiosis allowed these rotifers to colonize various semiaquatic areas with sharp fluctuations of environmental conditions: the edaphon, coniferous and deciduous litters, mosses, and lichens. The role of bdelloid rotifers in the food web and environmental indication is noted. Controversial problems concerning the origin of this group of worms are considered.
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Kutikova, L.A. Bdelloid Rotifers (Rotifera, Bdelloidea) as a Component of Soil and Land Biocenoses. Biology Bulletin 30, 271–274 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023811929889
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023811929889