Varisulca is a proposed basal podiate taxon. It encompassed several lineages of heterotrophic protists, most notably the ancyromonads (planomonads), collodictyonids (diphylleids), rigifilids (Rigifila, Micronuclearia) and mantamonads. Recent evidence suggests that the latter three are closely related to each other, forming a clade called CRuMs, but that this is unlikely to be specifically related to ancyromonads.
Cavalier-Smith had proposed the new subphylum Varisulca which consists of the classes Hilomonadea, Diphyllatea and Glissodiscea. The validity of this proposed taxonomy has yet to ruled upon by the Society of Protistologists. It is unlikely to be widely accepted, since Varisulca appears to be paraphyletic or polyphyletic (ancyromonads are not inferred to be the sister group to CRuMs). Glissodiscea and Multirhiza (a taxon encompassing Diphyllatea and Glissodiscea) also appear paraphyletic or polyphyletic, since Mantamonas belongs to CRuMs but ancyromonads do not.
Varisulca appear to be paraphyletic stem Podiata. So the other basal Podiata such as Malawimonas, Metamonada and/or Amoebozoa and Amorphea may have emerged in the Varisulca. Some groups of Apusozoa are now considered Varisulca. The Apusomonadida (e.g. Thecamonas) now not directly associated with Varisulca but are considered sister of the opisthokonts. Sulcozoa (originally only Varisulca and Apusozoa) now encompasses the Unikonta/Amorphea and becomes equivalent to (stem) Podiata and Sarcomastigota.
Mantamonadida appear to be sister to Apusomonadida in the Apusozoa in some findings.
Taxonomy
[Warning: Varisulca, Multirhiza and Glissodiscea lack molecular phylogenetic support and are strongly non-monophyletic in recent studies]
Subphylum Varisulca <small>Cavalier-Smith 2012</small>
- Superclass Hilomonadia <small>Cavalier-Smith 2012</small>
- Class Hilomonadea <small>Cavalier-Smith 2008 em. 2012</small>
- Order Rigifilida <small>Cavalier-Smith & Yabuki 2012</small>
- Family Rigifilidae <small>Cavalier-Smith & Yabuki 2012</small>
- Genus Rigifila <small>Cavalier-Smith & Yabuki 2012</small>
- Family Micronucleariidae <small>Cavalier-Smith 2008</small>
- Genus Micronuclearia <small>Mikrjukov & Mylnikov 2001</small>
- Superclass Multirhiza <small>Cavalier-Smith 2012</small>
- Class Diphyllatea <small>Cavalier-Smith 2003</small> [Anisomonadea]
- Order Diphylleida <small>Cavalier-Smith 1993</small> [Collodictyonida]
- Family Sulcomonadidae <small>Cavalier-Smith 2012</small>
- Genus Sulcomonas <small>Brugerolle 2006</small>
- Family Diphylleidae <small>Cavalier-Smith, 1993</small> [Collodictyonidae <small>Brugerolle et al. 2002</small>]
- Genus Diphylleia <small>Massart 1920 non Michaux 1803</small>
- Genus Collodictyon <small>Carter 1865</small>
- Class Glissodiscea <small>Cavalier-Smith 2012</small>
- Order Discocelida <small>Cavalier-Smith 1997</small>
- Family Discoceliidae <small>Cavalier-Smith 2012</small>
- Genus Discocelia <small>Cavalier-Smith 2013</small> [Discocelis <small>Vørs 1988 non Ehrenberg 1836</small>]
- Order Mantamonadida <small>Cavalier-Smith Glücksman et al. 2011</small>
- Family Mantamonadidae <small>Cavalier-Smith Glücksman et al. 2011</small>
- Genus Mantamonas <small>Cavalier-Smith Glücksman et al. 2011</small>
- Order Planomonadida <small>Cavalier-Smith 2008</small> (Ancyromonadida <small>Cavalier-Smith 1998 emend. Atkins 2000</small>)
- Family Ancyromonadidae <small>Cavalier-Smith 1993</small>
- Genus Ancyromonas <small>Kent 1880</small>
- Family Planomonadidae <small>Cavalier-Smith 2008</small>
- Genus Fabomonas <small>Glücksman & Cavalier-Smith 2013</small>
- Genus Planomonas <small>Cavalier-Smith 2008 emend. Cavalier-Smith 2013</small>
- Family Nutomonadidae <small>Cavalier-Smith 2013</small>
- Genus Nutomonas <small>Cavalier-Smith 2013</small>
References