Korarchaeota
| Korarchaeota | |
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| Scanning electron micrograph of the Obsidian Pool enrichment culture, showing Korarchaeota. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Archaea |
| Kingdom: | "Proteoarchaeota" |
| Phylum: |
Korarchaeota Barns et al. 1996 |
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| Synonyms | |
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In taxonomy, the Korarchaeota are a phylum of the Archaea. The name is derived from the Greek noun koros or kore, meaning ‘‘young man’’ or ‘‘young woman,’’ and the Greek adjective archaios which means ‘‘ancient.’’ They are also known as Xenarchaeota.
Analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences suggests that they are a deeply branching lineage that does not belong to the main archaeal groups, Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Analysis of the genome of one korarchaeote that was enriched from a mixed culture revealed a number of both Crenarchaeota- and Euryarchaeota-like features and supports the hypothesis of a deep-branching ancestry.
The Korarchaeota have only been found in hydrothermal environments. They will appear to have diversified at different phylogenetic levels according to temperature, salinity (freshwater or seawater), and/or geography. Korarchaeota have been found in nature in only low abundance.
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