| Provora | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ubysseya fretuma, anibblerid predator | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Provora Tikhonenkovet al. 2022[1] |
| Phyla | |
| Diversity | |
| 8 species | |
Provora is asupergroup ofeukaryotes made up ofpredatory microbes, whose name implies something such as "protists devouring voraciously". It was reported that ten strains were isolated and cultured in 2022. They are predators of other microorganisms. Their discovery was very delayed, compared to other microorganisms in their environments, due to their rarity. Their18S ribosomal RNA is very different from that of other eukaryotes consistent with their being a lineage without known close relatives; this was confirmed by phylogenomic analyses of datasets of several hundred proteins, so they were taxonomically placed in a separate supergroup.[1][2]
The supergroup Provora is composed of microbes that form an ancient lineage ofeukaryotes. The initialphylogenetic analyses recovered a position within the largersupergroupDiaphoretickes, particularly as sister to theprotist groupsTSAR andHaptista.[1] However, a 2024phylogenomic analysis recovered Provora as part of a novel lineage of eukaryotes, specifically as the sister group to a clade containingHemimastigophora and the speciesMeteora sporadica.[3] Either position is reflected in the biology of Provora: theirextrusomes are similar to those found in Hemimastigophora, while other cellular features most closely resemble those found in TSAR and Haptista, such as flagellar vanes, the architecture of the flagellar apparatus, and the presence ofcortical alveoli below the cell membrane.[4] The following cladogram represents the two alternative evolutionary positions:
The phylogenetic relationships between the eight described species of Provora is the following:[1][4]
| Provora | |
