A New Eutardigrade (Tardigrada: Milnesiidae) in amber from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) of New Jersy

The oldest true tardigrade known thus far, Milnesium swolenskyi n. sp., is described on the basis af a single, well-preserved specimen in amber from Turonian of New Jersey. The new species bears ab extremely close similarity to the living, widespread species Milnesium tardigradum Doyère. Antiquity of the Tardigrada sensu lato, as based on the existence of stem-group tardigrades from the Cambrian, corresponds with our discovery of a modern lineage of eutardigrade that has persisted for at least 90 million years (Ma).