Clade Elardia Kang et al. 2017
Diagnosis: Cells naked or covered with a rigid test; producing tubular or subcylindrical pseudopodia. If flattened or branched, capable of altering the locomotive form to monopodial or polypodial with subcylindrical pseudopodia. Defined as the least inclusive clade containing Amoeba proteus, Arcella intermedia, and Rhizamoeba saxonica.
- Order Arcellinida Saville Kent, 1880
Testate amoebae with rigid organic or mineral extracellular test; test composed of self‑secreted elements (chitinoid, calcareous, siliceous), sheet‑like chitinoid structures, or agglutinated particles bound with organic cement; typically one main aperture.
Arcella, Centropyxis, Difflugia - Order Euamoebida Lepşi, 1960, sensu Smirnov et al. 2011
Naked amoebae with monopodial, subcylindrical pseudopodia (or entire cell monopodial and subcylindrical); locomotive form does not alter; adhesive uroidal structures absent; sorocarpic development in some species.
Amoeba, Copromyxa. - Order Leptomyxida Pussard and Pons, 1976, sensu Smirnov et al. 2017
Naked amoebae with locomotive form altering from flattened/expanded or reticulate morphology to subcylindrical monopodial form during rapid movement or specific conditions; adhesive uroidal structures always present. Flabellula, Gephyramoeba, Leptomyxa, Rhizamoeba.
Key References
- Kang, S. et al. (2017). Between a Pod and a Hard Test: The deep evolution of amoebae. Molecular Biology and Evolution 34:2258–2270.
- Smirnov, A. et al. (2011). Molecular phylogeny and classification of naked lobose amoebae. Protist 162:485–510.
- Smirnov, A. et al. (2017). Revisions to the classification of Amoebozoa based on phylogenomic data. Protist 168:1–20.
- Adl, S.M. et al. (2019). Revisions to the classification of eukaryotes. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 66:4–119.