The most closely related large clade to the myzozoans are theciliates.[1] Both of these groups of organisms – unlike the majority of eukaryotes studied to date – seem to have a linear mitochondrial genome. Most other eukaryotes that have had their mitochondrial genomes examined have circular genomes. However, the taxonomic term Myzozoa specifically excludesciliates[1] which are rather under the higher taxonomic rankAlveolata. Thus, Alveoata includes two large groups: Myzozoa and Ciliophora[5] plus the smaller groups discussed above.
All Myzozoa appears to have evolved from an ancestor that possessed plastids, required through endosymbiosis.[6]
The branching order within both Myzozoa and Protalveolata, is only partly understood. Three groups – the colpodellids, Chromerida and the Apicomplexa – appear to be sister clades.[7] Three other groups – the perkinsids, Syndiniales andOxyrrhis are distantly related to the dinoflagellates.[8][9]
^Leander BS, Hoppenrath M (February 2008). "Ultrastructure of a novel tube-forming, intracellular parasite of dinoflagellates: Parvilucifera prorocentri sp. nov. (Alveolata, Myzozoa)".Eur. J. Protistol.44 (1):55–70.doi:10.1016/j.ejop.2007.08.004.PMID17936600.
^Muñoz-Gómez, Sergio A.; Slamovits, Claudio H. (2018). "Plastid Genomes in the Myzozoa".Plastid Genome Evolution. Advances in Botanical Research. Vol. 85. pp. 55–94.doi:10.1016/bs.abr.2017.11.015.ISBN9780128134573.
