Choanozoa

Choanozoa
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Opisthokonta
Phylum: Choanozoa
Classes and unplaced genera

Choanozoa (Greek: χόανος (choanos) = "funnel" + ζῶον (zōon) = "animal") is the name of a phylum of protists that belongs to the line of opisthokonts.

Most appear closer to the animals than to the fungi, and they are of great interest to biologists studying animal origins.

The nucleariids seem to be a sister group to the fungi, and as such tend to be excluded from the Choanozoa.[1]

Choanozoa have been described as possessing a posterior cilium.[2]

Contents

Cladogram

Eukarya  
Bikonta

Plantae



Chromalveolata



Unikonta

Amoebozoa


Opisthokonta


Choanozoa



Animalia






Nucleariida



Fungi







The great kingdoms and their close relatives. [3]

Classification

The Choanozoa consist of at least three groups: (1) the Mesomycetozoea (Ichthyosporea), a group of parasites infecting fish and other animals, (2) a group described in the early 21st century including Ministeria and Capsaspora, which has been named Filasterea after the thread-like tentacles which both genera share, and (3) the choanoflagellates including Monosiga and Proterospongia.[1][4] The position of Corallochytrium is unclear.[1]

The Choanozoa appear to be a paraphyletic group which gave rise to the animals. Lang et al. (2002) propose the new name Holozoa for a monophyletic grouping which is, in effect, Choanozoa enlarged or redefined to include animals.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Shalchian-Tabrizi K, Minge MA, Espelund M, et al (2008). Aramayo, Rodolfo. ed. "Multigene phylogeny of choanozoa and the origin of animals". PLoS ONE 3 (5): e2098. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002098. PMC 2346548. PMID 18461162. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002098 
  2. ^ Cavalier‐Smith, T. (2009). "Megaphylogeny, cell body plans, adaptive zones: causes and timing of eukaryote basal radiations". The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology 56 (1): 26–33. doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.2008.00373.x. PMID 19340985.  edit
  3. ^ Phylogeny based on:
  4. ^ "Eukaryotes". http://www.tolweb.org/Eukaryotes/3. 
  5. ^ Lang B.F., O'Kelly C., Nerad T., Gray M.W., Burger G. (October 2002). "The closest unicellular relatives of animals". Current Biology 12 (20): 1773–78. doi:10.1016/S0960-9822(02)01187-9. PMID 12401173. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982202011879.