Amastigomonas | |
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Amastigomonas Bar is 10 micrometres. | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Class: | Thecomonadea |
Order: | Apusomonadida |
Family: | Apusomonadidae |
Genus: | Amastigomonas de Saedeleer 1931 [1] |
Type species | |
Amastigomonas debruynei de Saedeleer 1931 | |
Species | |
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Amastigomonas is a genus of protists belonging to a lineage of biciliated zooflagellates known as Apusomonadida. [2] It was first described in 1931 by Henri de Saedeleer. [1] The current use of Amastigomonas is as a descriptive archetype, with no phylogenetic or taxonomic implications. The term "Amastigomonas-like" is used to refer to all apusomonads that lack the 'derived' characteristics of Apusomonas . [3]
Organisms under the name "Amastigomonas" have an oval or oblong cell that can generate pseudopodia from the ventral surface. They lack a mastigophore, a projection of the cell body that contains both basal bodies at its end. Like all Apusomonadida, they have two flagella, and the anterior flagellum is surrounded by a membranous sleeve. [3]
Historically, the name Amastigomonas was used for any apusomonad species that had 'primitive' characteristics compared to the more 'derived' characteristics of Apusomonas . Molecular phylogenetic analyses have shown that Apusomonas branches inside Amastigomonas, making this genus paraphyletic. As a result, many species of Amastigomonas have been reassigned to new genera— Thecamonas , Podomonas , Manchomonas , Multimonas , [4] Chelonemonas , [5] Catacumbia , Cavaliersmithia , Karpovia , Mylnikovia and Singekia —, and no currently cultured apusomonad matches the original description of Amastigomonas. [3]
Apusomonadida | "Amastigomonas-like" organisms | |