Unikonta
| Unikonts | |
|---|---|
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| Orange elephant ear sponge, Agelas clathrodes, in foreground. Two corals in the background: a sea fan, Iciligorgia schrammi, and a sea rod, Plexaurella nutans. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| (unranked): |
Unikonta Cavalier-Smith, 2002 |
| Subgroups | |
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Opisthokonta |
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| Synonyms | |
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Opisthokonta
Amoebozoa
Apusozoa? (Debated)
Unikonts or Amorphea are members of a taxonomic supergroup that includes the Amoebozoa and its sister clade, the Opisthokonta, which includes the Fungi, Animals and the Choanomonada, or Choanoflagellates. The taxonomic affinities of the members of this clade were originally described and proposed by Thomas Cavalier-Smith.
The International Society of Protistologists, the recognised body for taxonomy of protozoa, recommended in 2012 that the term Unikont be changed to Amorphea because the name "Unikont" is based on a hypothesized synapomorphy that the ISP authors and other scientists later rejected.
It includes amoebozoa, opisthokonts, and possibly Apusozoa.
Cavalier-Smith has proposed two new phyla: Sulcozoa, which consists of the subphyla Apusozoa (Apusomonadida and Breviatea), and Varisulca, which includes the subphyla Diphyllatea, Discocelida, Mantamonadida, Planomonadida and Rigifilida. The validity of this proposed taxonomy has yet to ruled upon by the Society of Protistologists.
Further work by Cavalier-Smith has shown that Sulcozoa is paraphyletic. Apusozoa also appears to be paraphyetic. Varisulca has been redefined to include planomonads, Mantamonas and Collodictyon. A new taxon has been created - Glissodiscea - for the planomonads and Mantamonas. Again, the validity of this revised taxonomy awaits approval by the Society.
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