Freshwater foraminiferans revealed by analysis of environmental DNA samples
- Author(s)
- Maria Holzmann, Andrea Habura, Hannah Giles, Samuel S Bowser, Jan Pawlowski
- Abstract
Sediment-dwelling protists are among the most abundant meiobenthic organisms, ubiquitous in all types of aquaticecosystems. Yet, because their isolation and identification are difficult, their diversity remains largely unknown. In the present work,we applied molecular methods to examine the diversity of freshwater Foraminifera, a group of granuloreticulosan protists largelyneglected until now. By using specific PCR primers, we detected the presence of Foraminifera in all sediment samples examined.Phylogenetic analysis of amplified SSU rDNA sequences revealed two distinct groups of freshwater foraminiferans. All obtainedsequences branched within monothalamous (single-chambered), marine Foraminifera, suggesting a repeated colonization of freshwaterenvironments. The results of our study challenge the traditional view of Foraminifera as essentially marine organisms, and provide aconceptual framework for charting the molecular diversity of freshwater granuloreticulosan protists.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- New York State Department of Health, Université de Genève
- Journal
- The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
- Volume
- 50
- Pages
- 135-139
- No. of pages
- 5
- ISSN
- 1066-5234
- Publication date
- 2003
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105118 Palaeontology
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/aa36e706-ca09-4151-9a42-f748653a9880