Phylogenetic relationships between the Acantharea and the Polycystinea: a molecular perspective on Haeckel's Radiolaria.

ABSTRACT: Polycystine radiolaria are among few protistan groups that possess a comprehensive fossil record available for study by micropaleontologists. The Polycystinea and the Acantharea, whose skeletons do not become fossilized, were once members of the class "Radiolaria" ("Radiolaria" sensu lato: Polycystinea, Phaeodarea, and Acantharea) originally proposed by Haeckel but are now included in the superclass Actinopoda. Phylogenetic relationships within this superclass remain largely enigmatic. We investigated the evolutionary relationship of the Acantharea and the Polycystinea to other protists using phylogenetic analyses of 16S-like ribosomal RNA (rRNA) coding regions. We circumvented the need to culture these organisms by collecting and maintaining reproductive stages that contain many copies of

SUBMITTER: Zettler LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC23483 | biostudies-literature | 1997 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature