This cladogram shows the upper systematics of the Opisthokonta, based mainly on Shalchian-Tabrizi (2008). It also shows two paraphyletic groups.

2. Notes to certain monophyletic groups

• Animalia: The cladogram uses the name Animalia differently than the majority of the cited literature. There Animalia is used as a synonym to Metazoa. Unfortunately this leaves unnamed the node that comprises Metazoa with Choanoflagellata. However, in some instances the name Animalia is used the same way as here, for example Da Lage et al. (2007), page 3931. Furthermore, the concept to consider certain single-celled organisms as animals has a very long tradition and is still in use (Westheide/Rieger 2006).

• Choanoflagellata: Three clades that form two branches. The first branch is formed by Choanoflagellata-clade 1 and Choanoflagellata-clade 2, yet unnamed. The second branch is formed by the family Acanthoecidae, comprising Tectiformes and Nudiformes (Carr et al. 2008).

• Cristidiscoidia: Only one class, Discicristoidea with two orders, Nucleariida and Fonticulida (Cavalier-Smith 2009).

• Filasterea: Only one order, Ministeriida (Shalchian-Tabrizi et al. 2008).

• Fungi: The cladogram mentions just kingdoms and phyla of the Fungi. For further information please refer to Hibbett et al. (2007).

• Mesomycetozoa: The cladogram uses the name Mesomycetozoa. Therefore it follows Adl et al. (2005) rather than Cavalier-Smith (2009). In Adl et al. (2005) the clade Mesomycetozoa comprised a few genera of which some were thereafter identified as Cristidiscoidia or Filasterea. The rest were genera of a class now called Ichthyosporea. What was further left was the genus ’Corallochytrium’. Thus recently Mesomycetozoa would comprise the class Ichthyosporea and the genus ’Corallochytrium’. Steenkamp et al. (2006) found out, that the left genera really form exactly such a monophyletic group. This result was considered by Cavalier-Smith (2009). However, he did not use the name Mesomycetozoa, but Ichthyosporea, which now should include ’Corallochytrium’ as the fourth genus: The clade Mesomycetozoa as used in this cladogram is synonymous with the clade Ichthyosporea as used by Cavalier-Smith (2009). In the cladogram the Mesomycetozoa comprises two classes. Ichthyosporea with the orders Aphelidida, Dermocystida and Ichthyophonida and Corallochytrea with the order Corallochytrida.

• Metazoa: Porifera and another, yet annamed clade that comprises Placozoa and Eumetazoa (Philippe et al. 2009).

• Nucletmycea: Fungi and Cristidiscoidia (Brown et al. 2009).

3. Paraphyletic groups

• Choanofila: Mesomycetozoa + Filasterea + Choanoflagellata
• Choanozoa: Cristidiscoidia + Choanofila

4. Common taxonomic terms not used

• Choanoflagellates - synonymous with Choanoflagellata
• Choanoflagellida - synonymous with Choanoflagellata
• Choanomonada - synonymous with Choanoflagellata
• DRIP - synonymous with a part of Ichthyosporea
• Eumycetes - synonymous with Fungi
• Parazoa - paraphyletic group (Porifera + Placozoa)
• Mesomycetozoea - synonymous with Ichthyosporea
• Mycetes - synonymous with Fungi
• Mycophyta - synonymous with Fungi
• Mycota - synonymous with Fungi

5. Literature

Adl SM, Simpson AGB, Farmer MA, Andersen RA, Anderson OR, Barta JA, Bowser SS, Bragerolle G, Fensome RA, Fredericq S, James TY, Karpov S, Kugrens P, Krug J, Lane CE, Lewis LA, Lodge J, Lynn DH, Mann DG, McCourt RM, Mendoza L, Moestrup Ø, Mozley-Standridge SE, Nerad TA, Shearer CA, Smirnov AV, Spiegel FW, Taylor MFJR: ’The New Higher Level Classification of Eukaryotes with Emphasis on the Taxonomy of Protists’. In: ’Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology’ 52 (2005): 399 - 451

Brown MW, Spiegel FW, Silberman JD: ’Phylogeny of the "forgotten" cellular slime mold, Fonticula alba, reveals a key evolutionary branch within Opisthokonta’. In: ’Mol Biol Evol.’ 26 (2009): 2699 - 2709

Carr M, Leadbeater BSC, Hassan R, Nelson M, Baldauf SL: ’Molecular phylogeny of choanoflagellates, the sister group to Metazoa’. In: ’PNAS’ 105 (2008): 16641 - 16646

Cavalier-Smith T: ’Megaphylogeny, Cell Body Plans, Adaptive Zones: Causes and Timing of Eukaryote Basal Radiations’. In: ’J. Eukaryot. Microbiol’ 56 (2009): 26 - 33

Da Lage J-L, Danchin EGJ, Casane D: ’Where do animal a-amylases come from? An interkingdom trip’. In: ’FEBS Letters’ 581 (2007): 3927 - 3935

Hibbett DS, Binder M, Bischoff JF, Blackwell M, Cannon PF, Eriksson OE, Huhndorf S, James T, Kirk PM, Lücking R, Thorsten Lumbsch H, Lutzoni F, Matheny PB, McLaughlin DJ, Powell MJ, Redhead S, Schoch CL, Spatafora JW, Stalpers JA, Vilgalys R, Aime MC, Aptroot A, Bauer R, Begerow D, Benny GL, Castlebury LA, Crous PW, Dai YC, Gams W, Geiser DM, Griffith GW, Gueidan C, Hawksworth DL, Hestmark G, Hosaka K, Humber RA, Hyde KD, Ironside JE, Kõljalg U, Kurtzman CP, Larsson KH, Lichtwardt R, Longcore J, Miadlikowska J, Miller A, Moncalvo JM, Mozley-Standridge S, Oberwinkler F, Parmasto E, Reeb V, Rogers JD, Roux C, Ryvarden L, Sampaio JP, Schüssler A, Sugiyama J, Thorn RG, Tibell L, Untereiner WA, Walker C, Wang Z, Weir A, Weiss M, White MM, Winka K, Yao YJ, Zhang N: 'A higher-level phylogenetic classification of the Fungi'. In: 'mycological research' 111 (2007): 509 - 47

Philippe H, Derelle R, Lopez P, Pick K, Borchiellini C, Boury-Esnault N, Vacelet J, Renard E, Houliston E, Quéinnec E, Da Silva C, Wincker P, Le Guyader H, Leys S, Jackson DJ, Schreiber F, Erpenbeck D, Morgenstern, Wörheide G, Manuel M: ‘’Phylogenomics Revives Traditional Views on Deep Animal Relationships’’. In: ‘Current Biology’ 19 (2009): 706 - 12

Shalchian-Tabrizi K, Minge MA, Espelund M, Orr R, Ruden T, Jakobsen KS, Cavalier-Smith T: ’Multigene phylogeny of Choanozoa and the origin of animals’. In: ‘’PLoS ONE’’ 3 (2008): e2098

Westheide W, Rieger R (Ed.): ’Spezielle Zoologie · Teil 1: Einzeller und Wirbellose Tiere’. Heidelberg, 2006