Amoebozoa

Cochliopodium sp., copyright Proyecto Agua.

Belongs within: Amorphea.
Contains: Variosea, Eumycetozoa, Tubulinea, Archamoebae, Centramoebia, Thecamoebida, Vannellida, Paramoebidae.

The Amoebozoa is a clade of primarily unicellular eukaryotes in which most members have an amoeboid stage in their life cycle; some are exclusively amoeboid. Members of the clade Eudiscosea produce flattened pseudopodia with a polyaxial cytoplasmic flow or lacking a pronounced axis, and so far as known lack a ciliated stage (Adl et al. 2019).

See also: Amoebozoan classification: putting the formless in formation; Amoebozoan oddments.

Characters (from Adl et al. 2012): Cells “naked” or testate; tubular mitochondrial cristae, often branched (ramicristate), secondarily lost in some; uninucleate, binucleate or multinucleate; cysts common, morphologically variable; sexual or asexual; many taxa exhibit either sporocarpic (single amoeboid cell differentiates into a usually stalked, subaerial structure that supports one to many propagules termed spores) or sorocarpic (amoebae aggregate into a multicellular mass that develops into a multicellular fruiting body) fruiting; or myxogastroid ciliated stages; when amoeboid, locomotion with noneruptive morphologically variable pseudopodia; ancestrally bikont with many taxa exhibiting reduction of the bikinetid.

Amoebozoa (see below for synonymy)
    |--Evosea AB19
    |    |--Semiconosia (see below for synonymy) C-SCL16
    |    |    |--Variosea TA16
    |    |    `--Eumycetozoa TA16
    |    `--+--+--Tubulinea TA16
    |       |  `--Archamoebae TA16
    |       `--+--+--Pessonella marginata TA16, SX97
    |          |  `--Cutosa [Cutosea] C-SCL16
    |          |       |--Armaparvus AB19
    |          |       |--Squamamoeba Kudryavtsev & Pawlowski 2013 [Squamamoebidae] C-SCL16
    |          |       |    `--S. japonica C-SCL16
    |          |       `--Sapocribrum Lahr et al. 2015 TA16, C-SCL16 [Sapocribridae]
    |          |            `--S. chincoteaguense C-SCL16
    |          `--Himatismenida [Cochliopodidae, Cochliopodiidae, Cochliopodiinae, Pseudonebelinae, Tectiferina] TA16
    |               |  i. s.: Chlamydamoeba Collin 1912 LT64
    |               |           `--*C. tentaculifera Collin 1912 LT64
    |               |         Coenopodium C-SCL16
    |               |--Ovalopodium desertum TA16
    |               `--+--Parvamoeba [Parvamoebidae, Parvamoebina] TA16
    |                  |    |--P. monoura TA16
    |                  |    `--P. rugata C-SCL16
    |                  `--Cochliopodium Hertwig & Lesser 1874 TA16, KB05 [=Kochliopodium (l. c.) LT64]
    |                       |--C. bilimbosum (Auerbach 1856) (see below for synonymy) LT64
    |                       |--C. gulosum C-SCO04
    |                       |--C. longispinum SX97
    |                       |--C. minus Page 1976 KB05
    |                       |--C. minutoidum C-SCL15
    |                       |--C. minutum West 1901 KB05
    |                       `--C. spiniferum Kudryatsev 2004 KB05
    `--Eudiscosea [Longamoebia] C-SCL16
         |--Centramoebia AS12
         `--Discosea AB19
              |  i. s.: Mycamoeba Blandenier et al. 2017 AB19
              |           `--M. gemmipara AB19
              |--Thecamoebida AS12
              `--Flabellinea [Flabellina, Flabellinia, Glycostylida, Vanelloidea] TA16
                   |--Vannellida C-SCL16
                   `--Dactylopodida [Conopodina, Dactylopodina, Paramoeboidea] TA16
                        |  i. s.: Boveella AS12
                        |         Dactylosphaerium AS12
                        |         Oscillodignum AS12
                        |         Podostoma filigerum AS12, G89
                        |         Strioluatus AS12
                        |         Subulamoeba saphirina AS12, SX97
                        |         Trienamoeba AS12
                        |--Paramoebidae C-SCL16
                        `--+--Vexillifera [Vexilliferidae] C-SCL16
                           |    |--V. armata SN05
                           |    |--V. bacillipedes SN05
                           |    `--V. minutissima SN05
                           `--Dermamoebida C-SCL16
                                |--Dermamoebidae C-SCL16
                                |    |--Dermamoeba algensis C-SCL16
                                |    `--Paradermamoeba C-SCL16
                                `--Mayorella [Mayorellida, Mayorellidae, Mayorellina] TA16
                                     |--M. gemmifera C-SCL16
                                     |--M. inquisita SX97
                                     |--M. penardi MS98
                                     |--M. riparia LB90
                                     `--M. spatula SX97

Amoebozoa incertae sedis:
  Malamoeba locustae SN05, R91
  Malpighamoeba SN05
  Pansporella AS12 [Pansporellidae LT64, Sporamoebidae]
  Gibbodiscus AS12
  Protamoeba vorax Gruber 1884 G84
  Belonocystis AB19
  Gymnophryidae [Araudia, Biomyxida, Gymnophrea, Reticulosida] C-SC03
    |--Gymnophrys cometa NB04
    |--Borkovia desaedeleeri C-SC03, M00
    `--Biomyxa Leidy 1875 AB19, LT64 [Biomyxidae]
         `--*B. vagans Leidy 1875 LT64 [incl. Amoeba porrecta G84]
  Oscillosignum AB19
  Schoutedamoeba minuta Van Vichelin et al. 2016 AB19

Amoebozoa [Acanthopodina, Addiffluentia, Amastigogeninia, Amebea, Amoebaea, Amoebeae, Amoebiae, Amoebida, Amoeboea, Chaetoproteida, Chaetoproteidae, Chaoinea, Conosa, Conosea, Diffluentia, Glycopoda, Gymnamoebaea, Gymnamoebia, Gymnamoebida, Gymnamoebina, Lobosa, Lobosia, Monamoebidae, Monamoebina, Monostega, Monostegia, Pelomyxacea, Pharopodida, Protamoebae, Proteina, Protomyxidae, Protosteliales, Protosteliomycetes, Testacealobosea, Testamoebida, Thecamoebina, Thecina]

Cochliopodium bilimbosum (Auerbach 1856) [=Amoeba bilimbosa; incl. *C. pellucidum Hertwig & Lesser 1874] LT64

Semiconosia [Ceratiomyxacea, Ceratiomyxaceae, Ceratiomyxales, Ceratiomyxioidea, Ectosporeae, Eumyxa, Exosporae, Exosporales, Exosporea, Exosporeen, Exosporei, Exosporinei, Parastelida] C-SCL16

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[AB19] Adl, S. M., D. Bass, C. E. Lane, J. Lukeš, C. L. Schoch, A. Smirnov, S. Agatha, C. Berney, M. W. Brown, F. Burki, P. Cárdenas, I. Čepička, L. Chistyakova, J. del Campo, M. Dunthorn, B. Edvardsen, Y. Eglit, L. Guillou, V. Hampl, A. A. Heiss, M. Hoppenrath, T. Y. James, A. Karnkowska, S. Karpov, E. Kim, M. Kolisko, A. Kudryavtsev, D. J. G. Lahr, E. Lara, L. Le Gall, D. H. Lynn, D. G. Mann, R. Massana, E. A. D. Mitchell, C. Morrow, J. S. Park, J. W. Pawlowski, M. J. Powell, D. J. Richter, S. Rueckert, L. Shadwick, S. Shimano, F. W. Spiegel, G. Torruella, N. Youssef, V. Zlatogursky & Q. Zhang. 2019. Revisions to the classification, nomenclature, and diversity of eukaryotes. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 66: 4–119.

[AS12] Adl, S. M., A. G. B. Simpson, C. E. Lane, J. Lukeš, D. Bass, S. S. Bowser, M. W. Brown, F. Burki, M. Dunthorn, V. Hampl, A. Heiss, M. Hoppenrath, E. Lara, E. Le Gall, D. H. Lynn, H. McManus, E. A. D. Mitchell, S. E. Mozley-Stanridge, L. W. Parfrey, J. Pawlowski, S. Rueckert, L. Shadwick, C. L. Schoch, A. Smirnov & F. W. Spiegel. 2012. The revised classification of eukaryotes. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 59 (5): 429–493.

[C-SC03] Cavalier-Smith, T., & E. E.-Y. Chao. 2003. Phylogeny and classification of phylum Cercozoa. Protist 154: 341–358.

[C-SCL15] Cavalier-Smith, T., E. E. Chao & R. Lewis. 2015. Multiple origins of Heliozoa from flagellate ancestors: new cryptist subphylum Corbihelia, superclass Corbistoma, and monophyly of Haptista, Cryptista, Hacrobia and Chromista. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 93: 331–362.

[C-SCL16] Cavalier-Smith, T., E. E. Chao & R. Lewis. 2016. 187-gene phylogeny of protozoan phylum Amoebozoa reveals a new class (Cutosea) of deep-branching, ultrastructurally unique, enveloped marine Lobosa and clarifies amoeba evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 99: 275–296.

[C-SCO04] Cavalier-Smith, T., E. E.-Y. Chao & B. Oates. 2004. Molecular phylogeny of Amoebozoa and the evolutionary significance of the unikont Phalansterium. European Journal of Protistology 40: 21–48.

[G84] Gruber, A. 1884. Die Protozoen des Hafens von Genua. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlichen Leopoldinisch-Carolinischen Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher [Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum] 46 (4): 473–539, pls 7–11.

[G89] Gruber, A. 1889. Ueber einige Rhizopoden aus dem Genueser Hafen. Berichte der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft zu Freiburg I. B. 4: 33–44, pl. 31.

[KB05] Kudryavtsev, A., D. Bernhard, M. Schlegel, E. E-Y. Chao & T. Cavalier-Smith. 2005. 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequences of Cochliopodium (Himatismenida) and the phylogeny of Amoebozoa. Protist 156: 215–224.

[LT64] Loeblich, A. R., Jr & H. Tappan. 1964. Sarcodina: chiefly “thecamoebians” and Foraminiferida. In: Moore, R. C. (ed.) Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology pt C. Protista 2 vol. 1. The Geological Society of America and The University of Kansas Press.

[LB90] Lousier, J. D., & S. S. Bamforth. 1990. Soil protozoa. In: Dindal, D. L. (ed.) Soil Biology Guide pp. 97–136. John Wiley & Sones: New York.

[MS98] Margulis, L., & K. V. Schwartz. 1998. Five Kingdoms: An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth 3^rd ed. W. H. Freeman and Company: New York.

[M00] Mikrjukov, K. A. 2000. Taxonomy and phylogeny of Heliozoa: should this taxon exist in modern classification of Protista? Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 79 (8): 883–897 (translated: Entomological Review 80 (Suppl. 1): S35–S50).

[NB04] Nikolaev, S. I., C. Berney, J. F. Fahrni, I. Bolivar, S. Polet, A. P. Mylnikov, V. V. Aleshin, N. B. Petrov & J. Pawlowski. 2004. The twilight of Heliozoa and rise of Rhizaria, an emerging supergroup of amoeboid eukaryotes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 101 (21): 8066–8071.

[R91] Rentz, D. C. F. 1991. Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts, katydids, crickets). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers vol. 1 pp. 369–393. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[SN05] Smirnov, A., E. Nassonova, C. Berney, J. Fahrni, I. Bolivar & J. Pawlowski. 2005. Molecular phylogeny and classification of the lobose amoebae. Protist 156: 129–142.

[SX97] Song B. & Xie P. 1997. Preliminary studies on the community structure of the planktonic protozoa from the outlet of Lake Dongting. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica 21 (Suppl.): 60–68.

[TA16] Tekle, Y. I., O. R. Anderson, L. A. Katz, X. X. Maurer-Alcalá, M. A. Cerón Romero & R. Molestina. 2016. Phylogenomics of 'Discosea': a new molecular phylogenetic perspective on Amoebozoa with flat body forms. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 99: 144–154.

Last updated: 4 June 2022.