Protozoan Taxonomy and Systematics Proaches

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Protozoan Taxonomy and Systematics Proaches Protozoan Taxonomy and Secondary article Systematics Article Contents . Introduction John O Corliss, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA . Historical Considerations . Major Groups of Protozoa Taxonomy and systematics of major groups of the Protozoa, an assemblage of so-called . The Old ‘Phylum Protozoa’ lower eukaryotes, refer basically to the classification of such groups, that is, their . Modern Options Concerning the Place of Protozoa in arrangement into a hierarchy of evolutionary interrelated groups (taxa) of scientifically the Biotic World . named phyla, classes, orders, etc. The New ‘Kingdom Protozoa’ Introduction ently, a goodly number of chlorophyll-possessing algal The classification of protozoa and other microorganisms groups were included in the phylum), phagotrophic, and above the organizational level of the bacteria has always capable of independent locomotion. It is now abundantly been dependent on microscopy because the body sizes clear that this classical definition of protozoa is at best involved generally range from only one micrometre to one misleading and incomplete, and that it requires consider- or two millimetres in length. Any structures these species able refinement. possess, useful in comparative studies of their morphology In former times, zoologists were the principal investiga- and thus their taxonomy and systematics, are at the cellular tors – and namers and claimers – of such microorganisms; and subcellular levels, and invisible to the naked eye. The and they often worked with taxonomic disregard for physiological properties of protozoa (and the neighbour- studies of what might actually be the same group, ing algae)have also played a role in the classification of sometimes even the same species, by the botanists these ubiquitous eukaryotic microorganisms; and of (phycologists and mycologists). Thus, unfortunately, growing significance are the findings made possible by territoriality and authoritarianism also played major roles research using molecular biological approaches. in determining the early systematic status of the protozoa, Because we are continuing to learn more and more about algae and lower fungi (Corliss, 1986). such minute organisms, protozoan systematics – that is, Advances in our knowledge of the protozoa in general the taxonomy (classification)and the evolutionary inter- have followed progress in microscopy, as mentioned relationships of major groups of protozoa – remains a above. As early as a century ago, novel improvements in topic of debate and change, still today. Some of the rather methods of light microscopy and related techniques of large and unwieldy taxonomic groupings of past years are fixing and staining were already beginning to make particularly subject to revision with expansion of and possible the revelation of morphological cellular charac- refinement in our knowledge about the members of those – teristics that would have remained totally unrecognized and related – assemblages. Paradoxically, the protozoa before the appearance of such technological advances. themselves are becoming more difficult to define with Then, at mid-twentieth century, the use of electron precision as our information about them and other microscopical approaches in cell biology opened up a microbial assemblages increases. Thus, presenting a single whole new epoch of exploration in protozoology and satisfactory circumscribed definition for them is not an related fields. During the ‘Age of Ultrastructure’ (as it has easy task. It is attempted towards the end of this article; been called), a myriad of previously unknown subcellular but, for sake of clarity, further background information is structures were revealed that became of immense value in first supplied. the comparative taxonomy of the lower eukaryotes (especially protozoa and algae). Even more recently, the exciting development of molecular biological approaches, particularly in study of genealogical and phylogenetic Historical Considerations relationships within all groups of organisms, large and small, plant or animal, has offered a refinement in Until well beyond the middle of the twentieth century, taxonomic investigations that is without parallel in past protozoa were widely treated taxonomically as a (mere) decades. subset of the kingdom Animalia, retaining their ‘first- Here an attempt is made to review and understand the animal’ definition dating from 150 years earlier. As a systematics of protozoa both from the more traditional phylum of unicellular animals, they were thought to exhibit point of view, keeping in mind that many biologists are still major characteristics typical of that kingdom: colourless familiar mostly with older, conventional classifications of (i.e. no photosynthetic pigments present; yet, incongru- these minute organisms, and from more modern ap- ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE SCIENCES / & 2001 Nature Publishing Group / www.els.net 1 Protozoan Taxonomy and Systematics proaches. The latter are complicated by the relatively protozoa (Table 1). Although this popular arrangement – in recent advent of the ‘protistological perspective’ – lumping comparison with the long-followed classical one of protozoa, algae and some other eukaryotic microorgan- Bu¨ tschli of 80 years earlier – contained nearly four times isms together as Protista – and by their usage of more the number of taxonomic units above the level of family, it sophisticated data. For more detailed information con- showed few novelties of great significance. For an out- cerning protozoan–protistan overlapping relationships, standing example of its conservatism, the classification still the reader is referred particularly to comprehensive papers retained several major groups of algae, all treated as by Cavalier-Smith (1993, 1998)and Corliss (1994, 1998) comprising a single class, the Phytomastigophorea, of and to the insightful textbooks by Sleigh (1989)and flagellated protozoa (the Mastigophora). A subsequent Hausmann and Hu¨ lsmann (1996). revision supported by the international Society of Proto- zoologists, the ‘Levine Report’ of 1980, recognized seven separate phyla (in a subkingdom Protozoa)and increased the number of taxa above the familial level to 229 (Table 2). Major Groups of Protozoa But, fundamentally, it followed the arrangement of its predecessor (Table 1). Five years later, the well-known and For many decades (commencing with the perceptive widely used Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa (Lee et al., schemes of Otto Bu¨ tschli, published in the 1880s), it has 1985)appeared, with its classification scheme mainly that been convenient to assign species known as protozoa to just of the Levine Report. By then, the ‘protist revolution’ had four major categories or assemblages, as has been done in already been going strong for a full decade (see accounts in numerous textbooks of biology and zoology as well as Corliss, 1986, 1998)and many findings were indicating the protozoology. Despite advances and improvements in our pressing need for a fresh look at the old persisting problems knowledge of eukaryotic microorganisms in general, it is of how to treat the systematics of the conventional/ still often rather helpful, for sake of discussion under diverse traditional protozoan, algal and fungal assemblages of circumstances, to arrange protozoa taxonomically in such a microorganisms. way. The categories generally recognized are: (1)the One reason for including the above discussion here, amoeboid forms (the Sarcodina, in a broad sense); (2) the besides the fact that those classifications of 20–40 years ago flagellated forms (the Mastigophora, including groups of are still accepted by many biologists, is to help bridge the autotrophic – or photosynthetic – as well as heterotrophic gap between such neoclassical systems and the suggested species); (3) the ciliated forms (the Ciliophora, the most recent arrangements of the 1990s (see below). The stable and perhaps most circumscribed of all protozoan organisms involved, and often their common group names assemblages); and (4) the various totally symbiotic or as well, have not changed over the decades, but our ideas parasitic forms (primarily spore-forming species that are concerning their most likely interrelationships at the higher typically endoparasites, some highly pathogenic to their taxonomic levels have done so, primarily by fresh analyses hosts, once assigned to a very broad group called the of the continuing accumulation of data of high phyloge- Sporozoa, a high-level taxon that subsequently became netic and evolutionary significance from precise ultra- divided into the Sporozoa and the Cnidosporidia). structural and molecular biological investigations One of the pedagogically oft-regretted but inevitable (Coombs et al., 1998). changes, especially during the busy second half of the twentieth century (even before the ‘protist revolution’: see Corliss, 1986), was the tremendous expansion in the total numbers of high-level taxonomic groups (subphyla, Modern Options Concerning the Place classes, orders)of protozoa, while generally still recogniz- ing the four major top divisions mentioned above. The of Protozoa in the Biotic World discovery of new and unique differentiating characteristics There are a number of ways in which modern biologists are useful in classification – and in evolutionary and phyloge- viewing the overall placement of the protozoa with respect netic studies as well – required such a multiplication and to other major groups of organisms. Several of these are fragmentation of taxa even though it
Recommended publications
  • Basal Body Structure and Composition in the Apicomplexans Toxoplasma and Plasmodium Maria E
    Francia et al. Cilia (2016) 5:3 DOI 10.1186/s13630-016-0025-5 Cilia REVIEW Open Access Basal body structure and composition in the apicomplexans Toxoplasma and Plasmodium Maria E. Francia1* , Jean‑Francois Dubremetz2 and Naomi S. Morrissette3 Abstract The phylum Apicomplexa encompasses numerous important human and animal disease-causing parasites, includ‑ ing the Plasmodium species, and Toxoplasma gondii, causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis, respectively. Apicomplexans proliferate by asexual replication and can also undergo sexual recombination. Most life cycle stages of the parasite lack flagella; these structures only appear on male gametes. Although male gametes (microgametes) assemble a typical 9 2 axoneme, the structure of the templating basal body is poorly defined. Moreover, the rela‑ tionship between asexual+ stage centrioles and microgamete basal bodies remains unclear. While asexual stages of Plasmodium lack defined centriole structures, the asexual stages of Toxoplasma and closely related coccidian api‑ complexans contain centrioles that consist of nine singlet microtubules and a central tubule. There are relatively few ultra-structural images of Toxoplasma microgametes, which only develop in cat intestinal epithelium. Only a subset of these include sections through the basal body: to date, none have unambiguously captured organization of the basal body structure. Moreover, it is unclear whether this basal body is derived from pre-existing asexual stage centrioles or is synthesized de novo. Basal bodies in Plasmodium microgametes are thought to be synthesized de novo, and their assembly remains ill-defined. Apicomplexan genomes harbor genes encoding δ- and ε-tubulin homologs, potentially enabling these parasites to assemble a typical triplet basal body structure.
    [Show full text]
  • Activity-Release-Form-KLCC
    Kingdom Life Community Church Activity Release Form For those 18 years of age or older, all parents, and all guardians: I consent for any of my children listed below to participate in any activity or trip sponsored by Kingdom Life Community Church. In case of medical need or injury, I authorize the church to arrange for medical or dental services for me and any of my children listed below. I agree that any such expense will be my obligation. I, individually, or in my capacities as parent or guardian of the below listed children, waive, release, and indemnify the church and all of its agents, directors, officers, employees and volunteers (collectively, “released parties”) from all demands, claims, liability, in law or in equity, that have arisen or may arise from any church activity or trip and that involve any damage, loss, or injury to me, my spouse, any of my children, my property, or the property of any of my children. In the same capacities, I promise not to sue any of the released parties for any such demands, claims, or liability. This waiver, release, indemnification, and promise not to sue do not apply to claims of criminal conduct or gross negligence. I understand that the church may take photographs of me and my family in the course of its activities, and I grant the church permission to publish such photographs in a manner the church deems appropriate. This activity release form is in effect for any activities that I, or any of my children, may participate in. This form is revocable, prospectively only, by a writing signed by me that bears the date that the revocation is delivered to the church.
    [Show full text]
  • Buzzle – Zoology Terms – Glossary of Biology Terms and Definitions Http
    Buzzle – Zoology Terms – Glossary of Biology Terms and Definitions http://www.buzzle.com/articles/biology-terms-glossary-of-biology-terms-and- definitions.html#ZoologyGlossary Biology is the branch of science concerned with the study of life: structure, growth, functioning and evolution of living things. This discipline of science comprises three sub-disciplines that are botany (study of plants), Zoology (study of animals) and Microbiology (study of microorganisms). This vast subject of science involves the usage of myriads of biology terms, which are essential to be comprehended correctly. People involved in the science field encounter innumerable jargons during their study, research or work. Moreover, since science is a part of everybody's life, it is something that is important to all individuals. A Abdomen: Abdomen in mammals is the portion of the body which is located below the rib cage, and in arthropods below the thorax. It is the cavity that contains stomach, intestines, etc. Abscission: Abscission is a process of shedding or separating part of an organism from the rest of it. Common examples are that of, plant parts like leaves, fruits, flowers and bark being separated from the plant. Accidental: Accidental refers to the occurrences or existence of all those species that would not be found in a particular region under normal circumstances. Acclimation: Acclimation refers to the morphological and/or physiological changes experienced by various organisms to adapt or accustom themselves to a new climate or environment. Active Transport: The movement of cellular substances like ions or molecules by traveling across the membrane, towards a higher level of concentration while consuming energy.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Phylogenetic Position of Hexacontium Pachydermum Jørgensen (Radiolaria)
    Marine Micropaleontology 73 (2009) 129–134 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine Micropaleontology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marmicro Molecular phylogenetic position of Hexacontium pachydermum Jørgensen (Radiolaria) Tomoko Yuasa a,⁎, Jane K. Dolven b, Kjell R. Bjørklund b, Shigeki Mayama c, Osamu Takahashi a a Department of Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Tokyo Gakugei University, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8501, Japan b Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172, Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway c Department of Biology, Tokyo Gakugei University, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8501, Japan article info abstract Article history: The taxonomic affiliation of Hexacontium pachydermum Jørgensen, specifically whether it belongs to the Received 9 April 2009 order Spumellarida or the order Entactinarida, is a subject of ongoing debate. In this study, we sequenced the Received in revised form 3 August 2009 18S rRNA gene of H. pachydermum and of three spherical spumellarians of Cladococcus viminalis Haeckel, Accepted 7 August 2009 Arachnosphaera myriacantha Haeckel, and Astrosphaera hexagonalis Haeckel. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the spumellarian species of C. viminalis, A. myriacantha, and A. hexagonalis form a Keywords: monophyletic group. Moreover, this clade occupies a sister position to the clade comprising the spongodiscid Radiolaria fi Entactinarida spumellarians, coccodiscid spumellarians, and H. pachydermum. This nding is contrary to the results of Spumellarida morphological studies based on internal spicular morphology, placing H. pachydermum in the order Nassellarida Entactinarida, which had been considered to have a common ancestor shared with the nassellarians. 18S rRNA gene © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Molecular phylogeny. 1. Introduction the order Entactinarida has an inner spicular system homologenous with that of the order Nassellarida.
    [Show full text]
  • Download This Publication (PDF File)
    PUBLIC LIBRARY of SCIENCE | plosgenetics.org | ISSN 1553-7390 | Volume 2 | Issue 12 | DECEMBER 2006 GENETICS PUBLIC LIBRARY of SCIENCE www.plosgenetics.org Volume 2 | Issue 12 | DECEMBER 2006 Interview Review Knight in Common Armor: 1949 Unraveling the Genetics 1956 An Interview with Sir John Sulston e225 of Human Obesity e188 Jane Gitschier David M. Mutch, Karine Clément Research Articles Natural Variants of AtHKT1 1964 The Complete Genome 2039 Enhance Na+ Accumulation e210 Sequence and Comparative e206 in Two Wild Populations of Genome Analysis of the High Arabidopsis Pathogenicity Yersinia Ana Rus, Ivan Baxter, enterocolitica Strain 8081 Balasubramaniam Muthukumar, Nicholas R. Thomson, Sarah Jeff Gustin, Brett Lahner, Elena Howard, Brendan W. Wren, Yakubova, David E. Salt Matthew T. G. Holden, Lisa Crossman, Gregory L. Challis, About the Cover Drosophila SPF45: A Bifunctional 1974 Carol Churcher, Karen The jigsaw image of representatives Protein with Roles in Both e178 Mungall, Karen Brooks, Tracey of various lines of eukaryote evolution Splicing and DNA Repair Chillingworth, Theresa Feltwell, refl ects the current lack of consensus as Ahmad Sami Chaouki, Helen K. Zahra Abdellah, Heidi Hauser, to how the major branches of eukaryotes Salz Kay Jagels, Mark Maddison, fi t together. The illustrations from upper Sharon Moule, Mandy Sanders, left to bottom right are as follows: a single Mammalian Small Nucleolar 1984 Sally Whitehead, Michael A. scale from the surface of Umbellosphaera; RNAs Are Mobile Genetic e205 Quail, Gordon Dougan, Julian Amoeba, the large amoeboid organism Elements Parkhill, Michael B. Prentice used as an introduction to protists for Michel J. Weber many school children; Euglena, the iconic Low Levels of Genetic 2052 fl agellate that is often used to challenge Soft Sweeps III: The Signature 1998 Divergence across e215 ideas of plants (Euglena has chloroplasts) of Positive Selection from e186 Geographically and and animals (Euglena moves); Stentor, Recurrent Mutation Linguistically Diverse one of the larger ciliates; Cacatua, the Pleuni S.
    [Show full text]
  • Protozoologica Special Issue: Protists in Soil Processes
    Acta Protozool. (2012) 51: 201–208 http://www.eko.uj.edu.pl/ap ActA doi:10.4467/16890027AP.12.016.0762 Protozoologica Special issue: Protists in Soil Processes Review paper Ecology of Soil Eumycetozoans Steven L. STEPHENSON1 and Alan FEEST2 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; 2Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Bristol and Ecosulis ltd., Newton St Loe, Bath, United Kingdom Abstract. Eumycetozoans, commonly referred to as slime moulds, are common to abundant organisms in soils. Three groups of slime moulds (myxogastrids, dictyostelids and protostelids) are recognized, and the first two of these are among the most important bacterivores in the soil microhabitat. The purpose of this paper is first to provide a brief description of all three groups and then to review what is known about their distribution and ecology in soils. Key words: Amoebae, bacterivores, dictyostelids, myxogastrids, protostelids. INTRODUCTION that they are amoebozoans and not fungi (Bapteste et al. 2002, Yoon et al. 2008, Baudalf 2008). Three groups of slime moulds (myxogastrids, dic- One of the idiosyncratic branches of the eukary- tyostelids and protostelids) are recognized (Olive 1970, otic tree of life consists of an assemblage of amoe- 1975). Members of the three groups exhibit consider- boid protists referred to as the supergroup Amoebozoa able diversity in the type of aerial spore-bearing struc- (Fiore-Donno et al. 2010). The most diverse members tures produced, which can range from exceedingly of the Amoebozoa are the eumycetozoans, common- small examples (most protostelids) with only a single ly referred to as slime moulds. Since their discovery, spore to the very largest examples (certain myxogas- slime moulds have been variously classified as plants, trids) that contain many millions of spores.
    [Show full text]
  • Broadly Sampled Multigene Analyses Yield a Well-Resolved Eukaryotic Tree of Life
    Smith ScholarWorks Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications Biological Sciences 10-1-2010 Broadly Sampled Multigene Analyses Yield a Well-Resolved Eukaryotic Tree of Life Laura Wegener Parfrey University of Massachusetts Amherst Jessica Grant Smith College Yonas I. Tekle Smith College Erica Lasek-Nesselquist Marine Biological Laboratory Hilary G. Morrison Marine Biological Laboratory See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/bio_facpubs Part of the Biology Commons Recommended Citation Parfrey, Laura Wegener; Grant, Jessica; Tekle, Yonas I.; Lasek-Nesselquist, Erica; Morrison, Hilary G.; Sogin, Mitchell L.; Patterson, David J.; and Katz, Laura A., "Broadly Sampled Multigene Analyses Yield a Well-Resolved Eukaryotic Tree of Life" (2010). Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/bio_facpubs/126 This Article has been accepted for inclusion in Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected] Authors Laura Wegener Parfrey, Jessica Grant, Yonas I. Tekle, Erica Lasek-Nesselquist, Hilary G. Morrison, Mitchell L. Sogin, David J. Patterson, and Laura A. Katz This article is available at Smith ScholarWorks: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/bio_facpubs/126 Syst. Biol. 59(5):518–533, 2010 c The Author(s) 2010. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected] DOI:10.1093/sysbio/syq037 Advance Access publication on July 23, 2010 Broadly Sampled Multigene Analyses Yield a Well-Resolved Eukaryotic Tree of Life LAURA WEGENER PARFREY1,JESSICA GRANT2,YONAS I. TEKLE2,6,ERICA LASEK-NESSELQUIST3,4, 3 3 5 1,2, HILARY G.
    [Show full text]
  • Eukaryotic Microorganisms Algae and Protozoans 2
    Eukaryotic Microorganisms Algae and Protozoans 2 Eukaryotic Microorganisms . prominent members of ecosystems . useful as model systems and industry . some are major human pathogens . two groups . protists . fungi 3 Kingdom Protista . Algae - eukaryotic organisms, usually unicellular and colonial, that photosynthesize with chlorophyll a . Protozoa - unicellular eukaryotes that lack tissues and share similarities in cell structure, nutrition, life cycle, and biochemistry 4 Algae .Photosynthetic organisms .Microscopic forms are unicellular, colonial, filamentous .Macroscopic forms are colonial and multicellular .Contain chloroplasts with chlorophyll and other pigments .Cell wall .May or may not have flagella 5 6 Algae .Most are free-living in fresh and marine water – plankton .Provide basis of food web in most aquatic habitats .Produce large proportion of atmospheric O2 .Dinoflagellates can cause red tides and give off toxins that cause food poisoning with neurological symptoms .Classified according to types of pigments and cell wall .Used for cosmetics, food, and medical products 7 Protozoa Protozoa 9 .Diverse group of 65,000 species .Vary in shape, lack a cell wall .Most are unicellular; colonies are rare .Most are harmless, free-living in a moist habitat .Some are animal parasites and can be spread by insect vectors .All are heterotrophic – lack chloroplasts .Cytoplasm divided into ectoplasm and endoplasm .Feed by engulfing other microbes and organic matter Protozoa 10 .Most have locomotor structures – flagella, cilia, or pseudopods .Exist as trophozoite – motile feeding stage .Many can enter into a dormant resting stage when conditions are unfavorable for growth and feeding – cyst .All reproduce asexually, mitosis or multiple fission; many also reproduce sexually – conjugation Figure 5.27 11 Protozoan Identification 12 .
    [Show full text]
  • Rhizaria, Cercozoa)
    Protist, Vol. 166, 363–373, July 2015 http://www.elsevier.de/protis Published online date 28 May 2015 ORIGINAL PAPER Molecular Phylogeny of the Widely Distributed Marine Protists, Phaeodaria (Rhizaria, Cercozoa) a,1 a a b Yasuhide Nakamura , Ichiro Imai , Atsushi Yamaguchi , Akihiro Tuji , c d Fabrice Not , and Noritoshi Suzuki a Plankton Laboratory, Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041–8611, Japan b Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba 305–0005, Japan c CNRS, UMR 7144 & Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Equipe EPPO - Evolution du Plancton et PaléoOcéans, Place Georges Teissier, 29682 Roscoff, France d Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980–8578, Japan Submitted January 1, 2015; Accepted May 19, 2015 Monitoring Editor: David Moreira Phaeodarians are a group of widely distributed marine cercozoans. These plankton organisms can exhibit a large biomass in the environment and are supposed to play an important role in marine ecosystems and in material cycles in the ocean. Accurate knowledge of phaeodarian classification is thus necessary to better understand marine biology, however, phylogenetic information on Phaeodaria is limited. The present study analyzed 18S rDNA sequences encompassing all existing phaeodarian orders, to clarify their phylogenetic relationships and improve their taxonomic classification. The mono- phyly of Phaeodaria was confirmed and strongly supported by phylogenetic analysis with a larger data set than in previous studies. The phaeodarian clade contained 11 subclades which generally did not correspond to the families and orders of the current classification system. Two families (Challengeri- idae and Aulosphaeridae) and two orders (Phaeogromida and Phaeocalpida) are possibly polyphyletic or paraphyletic, and consequently the classification needs to be revised at both the family and order levels by integrative taxonomy approaches.
    [Show full text]
  • Multigene Eukaryote Phylogeny Reveals the Likely Protozoan Ancestors of Opis- Thokonts (Animals, Fungi, Choanozoans) and Amoebozoa
    Accepted Manuscript Multigene eukaryote phylogeny reveals the likely protozoan ancestors of opis- thokonts (animals, fungi, choanozoans) and Amoebozoa Thomas Cavalier-Smith, Ema E. Chao, Elizabeth A. Snell, Cédric Berney, Anna Maria Fiore-Donno, Rhodri Lewis PII: S1055-7903(14)00279-6 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.08.012 Reference: YMPEV 4996 To appear in: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Received Date: 24 January 2014 Revised Date: 2 August 2014 Accepted Date: 11 August 2014 Please cite this article as: Cavalier-Smith, T., Chao, E.E., Snell, E.A., Berney, C., Fiore-Donno, A.M., Lewis, R., Multigene eukaryote phylogeny reveals the likely protozoan ancestors of opisthokonts (animals, fungi, choanozoans) and Amoebozoa, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (2014), doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.ympev.2014.08.012 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. 1 1 Multigene eukaryote phylogeny reveals the likely protozoan ancestors of opisthokonts 2 (animals, fungi, choanozoans) and Amoebozoa 3 4 Thomas Cavalier-Smith1, Ema E. Chao1, Elizabeth A. Snell1, Cédric Berney1,2, Anna Maria 5 Fiore-Donno1,3, and Rhodri Lewis1 6 7 1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
    [Show full text]
  • A Novel Structure Learning Algorithm for Bayesian Networks Inspired by Physarum Polycephalum
    Physarum Learner: A Novel Structure Learning Algorithm for Bayesian Networks inspired by Physarum Polycephalum DISSERTATION ZUR ERLANGUNG DES DOKTORGRADES DER NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN (DR. RER. NAT.) DER FAKULTAT¨ FUR¨ BIOLOGIE UND VORKLINISCHE MEDIZIN DER UNIVERSITAT¨ REGENSBURG vorgelegt von Torsten Schon¨ aus Wassertrudingen¨ im Jahr 2013 Der Promotionsgesuch wurde eingereicht am: 21.05.2013 Die Arbeit wurde angeleitet von: Prof. Dr. Elmar W. Lang Unterschrift: Torsten Schon¨ ii iii Abstract Two novel algorithms for learning Bayesian network structure from data based on the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum are introduced. The first algorithm called C- PhyL calculates pairwise correlation coefficients in the dataset. Within an initially fully connected Physarum-Maze, the length of the connections is given by the inverse correla- tion coefficient between the connected nodes. Then, the shortest indirect path between each two nodes is determined using the Physarum Solver. In each iteration, a score of the surviving edges is increased. Based on that score, the highest ranked connections are combined to form a Bayesian network. The novel C-PhyL method is evaluated with different configurations and compared to the LAGD Hill Climber, Tabu Search and Simu- lated Annealing on a set of artificially generated and real benchmark networks of different characteristics, showing comparable performance regarding quality of training results and increased time efficiency for large datasets. The second novel algorithm called SO-PhyL is introduced and shown to be able to out- perform common score based structure learning algorithms for some benchmark datasets. SO-PhyL first initializes a fully connected Physarum-Maze with constant length and ran- dom conductivities. In each Physarum Solver iteration, the source and sink nodes are changed randomly and the conductivities are updated.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards a Management Hierarchy (Classification) for the Catalogue of Life
    TOWARDS A MANAGEMENT HIERARCHY (CLASSIFICATION) FOR THE CATALOGUE OF LIFE Draft Discussion Document Rationale The Catalogue of Life partnership, comprising Species 2000 and ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System), has the goal of achieving a comprehensive catalogue of all known species on Earth by the year 2011. The actual number of described species (after correction for synonyms) is not presently known but estimates suggest about 1.8 million species. The collaborative teams behind the Catalogue of Life need an agreed standard classification for these 1.8 million species, i.e. a working hierarchy for management purposes. This discussion document is intended to highlight some of the issues that need clarifying in order to achieve this goal beyond what we presently have. Concerning Classification Life’s diversity is classified into a hierarchy of categories. The best-known of these is the Kingdom. When Carl Linnaeus introduced his new “system of nature” in the 1750s ― Systema Naturae per Regna tria naturae, secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species …) ― he recognised three kingdoms, viz Plantae, Animalia, and a third kingdom for minerals that has long since been abandoned. As is evident from the title of his work, he introduced lower-level taxonomic categories, each successively nested in the other, named Class, Order, Genus, and Species. The most useful and innovative aspect of his system (which gave rise to the scientific discipline of Systematics) was the use of the binominal, comprising genus and species, that uniquely identified each species of organism. Linnaeus’s system has proven to be robust for some 250 years. The starting point for botanical names is his Species Plantarum, published in 1753, and that for zoological names is the tenth edition of the Systema Naturae published in 1758.
    [Show full text]