Cutosea

The cells of cutosean amoebae are surrounded by a continuous thin, somewhat flexible envelope, unique in structure because it is not attached to the cytoplasmic membrane. Below this envelope, they present oval microscales surrounded by a dense matrix. The small scales are not visible under a light microscope. == Taxonomy ==

History Cutosea is a clade discovered through a 2016 phylogenetic study by Thomas Cavalier-Smith and his coauthors, published in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. It is described as a class-level rank, monotypic as it contains only one order Squamamoebida. Additionally, it is grouped under the monotypic superclass Cutosa. In traditional rank-based classifications, it is grouped within the paraphyletic Lobosa, a subphylum of Amoebozoa that also contains Tubulinea and Discosea. Cutosean amoebae present a structurally unique cellular envelope, their distinguishing feature. Their names derive from the Latin cutis, meaning 'skin', and squama, meaning 'scale', referencing this envelope. Classification Cutosea contains a total of four species, distributed in four monotypic genera: • Family Idionectidae • Sapocribrum chincoteaguense • Family Squamamoebidae • Armaparvus • Squamamoeba japonica == Evolution ==

Cutosea is a fully supported clade within Amoebozoa. It is the sister group to Conosa, which contains all the non-lobose amoebozoans: Variosea, Archamoebea and Eumycetozoa. Together, Cutosea and Conosa are the two members of the larger clade Evosea. The following cladogram is based on a 2022 phylogenetic analysis: == References ==