Phylogenetic taxonomy, a farewell to species, and a revision of Heteropodarke (Hesionidae, Polychaeta, Annelida)

Cladistic relationships between 7 parts of the hesionid polychaete group Heteropodarke are assessed in a parsimony analysis based on 34 morphological characters. Taxon names are defined by apomorphy-based phylogenetic definitions, without reference to Linnean ranks or types. Species entities are omitted and denied any role in taxonomy; taxon names refer to monophyletic groups only. Linnean binomial species names are not employed, and all taxa are assigned uninomials. Previously known parts of Heteropodarke (Africana Hartmann-Schröder, 1974; Formalis, Perkins, 1984; Heteromorpha Hartmann-Schröder, 1962; Lyonsi Perkins, 1984; Xiamenensis Ding, Wu, and Westheide, 1997) are reexamined, and Bidentata, new taxon, and \"Zmyrina\" (informal name) are described from Papua New Guinea and Belize, respectively. The new taxon Crassichaetae is named for a subgroup of Heteropodarke, which is diagnosed by enlarged, anteriorly situated falcigers, and includes Africana, Heteromorpha, Lyonsi, and Xiamenensi...