tardigrade

Diagnostic body plan

Record visible limb arrangement, body form and competing identifications without treating obscured anatomy as absent.

1. Which resolved anatomical features support identification as a tardigrade rather than a rotifer, nematode or mite? definition
2. Does contraction, orientation or image resolution prevent a reliable distinction? boundary

Supported taxon assignment

Record which terminal structures, cuticle features, mouth structures or other evidence justify the identification.

1. Which identification reference or specialist assessment was used, and which specimen features matched it? provenance
2. What is the finest defensible taxonomic assignment, and what missing evidence prevents a narrower one? boundary

Physical condition

Tie measurements and locomotor observations to posture and preparation conditions.

1. What are the calibrated body dimensions and posture, and is movement coordinated across the visible limbs? measurement
2. Could apparent flattening, impaired movement or injury have resulted from mounting pressure or transfer? provenance

Developmental context

Separate supported stage assignments and moulting observations from size-based guesses.

1. What observations support the assigned life stage or a current or recent moult? definition
2. Is an apparent empty body an exuvium, a dead animal or unresolved material, and what evidence distinguishes them? boundary

Inactive-state evidence

Record posture and observation conditions before assigning a dormancy or viability interpretation.

1. During what observation interval and moisture and temperature conditions was no movement detected? measurement
2. What evidence supports suspected dormancy, and which alternatives such as moulting, injury or death remain unresolved? boundary

Recovery evidence

Distinguish initial movement from sustained functional recovery and keep negative observations bounded by the monitoring period.

1. Which rehydration medium, temperature, timing and handling procedure are supported for this specimen's identified taxon or habitat? action
2. When did movement, coordinated locomotion or feeding resume, and how long was subsequent function observed? measurement

Maintenance context

Link habitat evidence and observed feeding to proposed holding conditions.

1. From which substrate or water sample was the animal recovered, and what environmental conditions were measured there? provenance
2. What evidence supports the proposed holding medium and food, and has ingestion actually been observed? action

Egg and parent association

Maintain the distinction between observed production and simple spatial association.

1. Was egg production directly observed, or were eggs merely found nearby or within associated shed cuticle? provenance
2. Which reproductive conclusions can be supported for this individual, and which require observations beyond egg presence? boundary

Preparation consequences

Record whether an observation requires a live, recoverable animal or a permanently prepared specimen.

1. Must the animal remain viable after observation, and which preparation method supports that requirement? action
2. What mounting medium, confinement, illumination and transfer events could affect its subsequent condition? provenance

Bounded tolerance evidence

Require a documented match between relevant evidence and the proposed intervention, with explicit outcome criteria.

1. Does the evidence for the proposed exposure match this animal's taxon, life stage, hydration state and exposure duration? boundary
2. Which exposure parameters, stopping criteria and follow-up observations will distinguish transient movement from sustained recovery? action

Kinds and varieties

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Identifiers and schemes

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Standards and regulation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Real-world use

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Typical measurements

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Failure modes and hazards

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Regional variation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of tardigrade this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance