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Related Concept Videos

Diversity of Protists IV01:27

Diversity of Protists IV

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Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
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Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
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Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
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Hyperthermophilic archaea are a group of extremophiles thriving at temperatures above 80°C, often in hydrothermal vents and volcanic soils where conditions surpass the boiling point of water. At such temperatures, proteins, membranes, and DNA in most organisms degrade, but hyperthermophiles have evolved remarkable adaptations to maintain stability and function.Unique Cellular FeaturesHyperthermophilic membranes are composed of a monolayer of biphytanyl tetraether lipids, which resist...
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Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
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Crenarchaeota, a prominent phylum of Archaea, is remarkable for its ability to thrive in extreme environments characterized by high temperatures and acidity. These microorganisms inhabit sulfuric hot springs, volcanic systems, and submarine hydrothermal vents, where temperatures often exceed 100°C. The unique adaptations of Crenarchaeota not only allow survival under such extreme conditions but also provide insights into the mechanisms of life in primordial Earth-like...
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Body Size Poorly Predicts Host-Associated Microbial Diversity in Wild Birds.

Elizabeth A Herder1, Heather R Skeen1,2,3, Holly L Lutz3,4

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA.

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Bird body size does not strongly influence avian microbiota diversity across five body sites. Microbiome composition shows weak links to host size and evolutionary history in wild birds.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Avian microbiota composition and diversity are influenced by host ecology and environment.
  • Understanding the general rules governing host-associated microbial communities in wild animals is crucial but poorly described.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine microbial diversity across five major body sites in 214 bird species from Malawi.
  • To test the hypothesis that avian microbiota diversity correlates with host body size.
  • To investigate phylosymbiosis between host phylogeny and microbiota similarity.

Main Methods:

  • Sampling of blood, buccal cavity, gizzard, intestinal tract, and cloaca from 214 bird species.
  • Analysis of microbial community dissimilarity across body sites.
  • Application of comparative phylogenetic methods (Pagel's lambda, phylogenetic generalized least squares) to assess correlations with host body size and host phylogeny.

Main Results:

  • Microbial community dissimilarity varied significantly across body sites.
  • Few microbial diversity metrics showed significant phylogenetic signals.
  • Weak negative correlation between host size and blood microbiota diversity; weak positive correlation between host size and cloacal microbiota diversity in Passeriformes.
  • Phylosymbiosis was weak or not significant in most body sites.

Conclusions:

  • Avian microbiome is highly variable, with limited clear associations between microbiota diversity and bird size.
  • Blood microbiota exhibit a unique relationship with host size.
  • Microbiota diversity and composition are largely uncorrelated with host size and evolutionary history in birds.