Abstract
Evolution has led to changes in the gross anatomy of the arthropod hearts. Changes are also seen in the ultrastructural organization of the cardiomyofiber. Thus the myofilament organization and the membrane systems (T‐system and SR) vary within both Chelicerata, Crustacea and Uniramia. Yet, the variation is not haphazard, but constitutes a pattern which cannot be deduced from the gross anatomy. In the three taxa the evolutionary tendency seems to be towards a more strict sarcomeral organization of the myofilaments. This is due to parallelism. The organization of the membrane systems and the spatial relation of the interior couplings are not identical for all arthropods. However, no variations has so far been detected within one and the same order, despite differences in adaptation and size. These systems are conservative and it is suggested that they could be useful in studies of arthropod phylogeny.
Published Version
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