Loukozoa (+

Ancyromonads Ancyromonadida or Planomonadida is a small group of biflagellated protists found in the soil and in aquatic habitats, where they feed on bacteria.Cavalier-Smith, T. (2013)Early evolution of eukaryote feeding modes, cell structural diversity, and ...

) (From Greek ''loukos'': groove) is a proposed taxon used in some classifications of

eukaryote Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacter ...

s, consisting of the Metamonada and Malawimonadea.

are closely related to this group, as sister of the entire group, or as sister of the Metamonada.

Amorphea Amorphea are members of a taxonomic supergroup that includes the basal Amoebozoa and Obazoa. That latter contains the Opisthokonta, which includes the Fungi, Animals and the Choanomonada, or Choanoflagellates. The taxonomic affinities of the ...

may have emerged in this grouping, specifically as sister of the Malawimonads. Originally, Loukozoa included

Anaeromonadea Anaeromonadea is a class of excavates, comprising the oxymonads and ''Trimastix ''Trimastix'' is a genus of excavates, the sole occupant of the order Trimastigida. ''Trimastix'' are bacterivorous, free living and anaerobic. When first observ ...

and

Jakobea Jakobids are an order of free-living, heterotrophic, flagellar eukaryotes in the supergroup Excavata. They are small (less than 15 μm), and can be found in aerobic and anaerobic environments. The order Jakobida, believed to be monophyletic, cons ...

. In 2013, it consisted of three subphyla: Eolouka ( Tsukubea and

Metamonad The metamonads are microscopic eukaryotic organisms, a large group of flagellate amitochondriate Loukozoa. Their composition is not entirely settled, but they include the retortamonads, diplomonads, and possibly the parabasalids and oxymonads a ...

a and Neolouka ('' Malawimonas''). Cavalier-Smith has recently removed Eolouka from Loukozoa, placing it instead in

Discoba Excavata is a major supergroup of unicellular organisms belonging to the domain Eukaryota. It was first suggested by Simpson and Patterson in 1999 and introduced by Thomas Cavalier-Smith in 2002 as a formal taxon. It contains a variety of fr ...

. With the root of the Eukaryota likely close to or in Loukozoa or Discoba, these groupings are studied to give unique information on the first Eukaryotes.

References

Excavata Taxa named by Thomas Cavalier-Smith Bikont phyla {{Excavata-stub