{"id":766,"date":"2023-03-17T09:39:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/\/?page_id=766"},"modified":"2025-06-11T16:08:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T22:08:49","slug":"how-to","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/?page_id=766","title":{"rendered":"How to"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

How To Use The Key<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

For Best Search Results<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Use the filter feature to access tardigrade profiles based on your preferred criteria.\u00a0 Rather than a traditional dichotomous key, multiple filters are provided to allow best possible searching based on what you are actually seeing … if any character is unclear, leave it blank.<\/span><\/p>

Multiple traits are joined with “OR” logic … so if you aren’t sure of some detail, you can select several possibilities, and all matching genera will be shown.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

How to Use the Filter Feature<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Once inside the Tardigrade Key area, on the left side of the page, you will find a list of questions and answers related to Tardigrades and their scientific aspects.<\/p>

Follow these steps to discover specific tardigrade profiles<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Step 1: Select Choices of Characteristics (Filters)<\/strong><\/h5>

Click on any answer that interests you. The filter feature will automatically apply relevant criteria to your search. The key starts with the choice of Heterotardigrada (possessing Cirrus A on left and right) and Eutardigrada (lacking this pair of cirri).\u00a0 M<\/span>ore filters appear and disappear as you go along with choices in the filters. You will notice a small question mark icon next to certain filters. Click the icon to learn more about what each filter represents.<\/p>

Step 2: View the Tardigrade Profiles<\/strong><\/h5>

Once you’ve selected your choices, the Tardigrade profiles that match the chosen criteria will automatically re-populate the profile listing. These profiles contain detailed information about different tardigrade species and their unique characteristics.\u00a0 Clicking on a tardigrade image will open that genus’ page in a new window or tab.<\/p>

Step 3: Refine Your Search<\/strong><\/h5>

Narrow the list of suggested genera by choosing additional traits. The website will instantly update the displayed profiles based on your new filter criteria.<\/p>

Step 4: Going “backwards”
<\/strong><\/h5>
It is possible to “back up” steps in the key, but because of a quirk in how it functions, I recommend always removing check marks from the bottom up, don’t try to jump levels by removing a higher checkmark (sometimes that will work, sometimes it won’t).\u00a0 In general, it is safer to just start a new identification!<\/div>
Search<\/strong><\/h5>

Use the search bar to find specific topics or keywords related to tardigrades, or to jump directly to a particular genus.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Exploring Tardigrade Profiles<\/strong><\/h5>

Each Tardigrade profile offers detailed descriptions for the genus, and may include additional images for comparison.\u00a0 Some also have information on where to locate a key to the species of that genus.<\/p>

Note: just because the key may leave you with just one genus DOES NOT MEAN you definitely are looking at that genus.\u00a0<\/b> The key is an aid to identification<\/b>, it is not definitive!\u00a0 Use the resources to find articles describing the genus, compare images and descriptions, dig deeper before being certain in your identification.<\/p>

Also note that not all characters\u00a0 are equally valuable, diagnostically.\u00a0 For some, there may be considerable intragenus variation.\u00a0 The key uses characters that are most readily apparent with light microscopy, normally using either phase contrast or “Nomarski” differential interference contrast microscopy.\u00a0 It mny report “absent” a character nearly invisible with these techniques, but apparent in an electron micrograph.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tENTER THE TARDIGRADE KEY<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Share Your Experience<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

We value your feedback! Let us know about your experience using the website and any suggestions for improvement. Contact us through the\u00a0Contact page<\/a> .<\/p>

Start Your Journey with Tardigrades Now!<\/strong><\/p>

Begin your exploration of these microscopic heroes today. Click on any filter to dive into the world of Tardigrades and discover their remarkable scientific aspects.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How To Use The Key For Best Search Results Use the filter feature to access tardigrade profiles based on your preferred criteria.\u00a0 Rather than a traditional dichotomous key, multiple filters are provided to allow best possible searching based on what you are actually seeing … if any character is unclear, leave it blank. Multiple traits […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-766","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=766"}],"version-history":[{"count":70,"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3454,"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/766\/revisions\/3454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dazzling-banach.212-132-101-160.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}