My vote is for the nematode, but I keep coming across cites that say arthropods. Being a lover of the little squiggleys, I don’t want to accept that I’m wrong. But I am willing to let myself be convinced.
Damn, I can’t remember the name, but when some famous biologist was asked what his studies had taught him about god he replied.
“An unreasonable fondness for beetles”
It was J.B.S. Haldane and I should have written :
“An inordinate fondness for beetles”
There are bloody millions of beetle species, more I believe than other insects put togther.
It was J.B.S. Haldane and the actual quote was “an inordinate fondness for beetles.” That was actually used as a book title.
As far as species diversity goes, nematodes may well be tops, it’s just that the vast, vast majority are undescribed and so all anyone can do is estimate ( and the estimate runs in the millions ). On the other hand arthropods currently have far more actual described species than the nematodes, but may have fewer total. Though again it is awful hard to get a handle on that.
Whatever else can be said, the phyla Nematoda and Arthropoda are the two biggies.
- Tamerlane