''Galeripora'' is a genus of

testate amoebae Testate amoebae (formerly thecamoebians, Testacea or Thecamoeba) are a polyphyletic group of unicellular amoeboid protists, which differ from naked amoebae in the presence of a test (biology), test that partially encloses the cell, with an apert ...

in the family Arcellidae, closely related to '' Arcella''. Both genera share a proteinaceous organic shell, but ''Galeripora'' species are distinguished by pores surrounding their central circular aperture, and a thin organic layer that partially obscures the hexagonal units composing the shell.

Taxonomy

Several species now classified under ''Galeripora'' were originally described as members of ''Arcella''. The reassignment of these species was based on a combination of

molecular phylogenetics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

and detailed morphological analysis of shell structures. ''Galeripora'' was formally described in 2021 by González-Miguéns et al., following a comprehensive review of the family Arcellidae. The authors used the mitochondrial COI gene to reconstruct evolutionary relationships within the group. This molecular information was used to evaluate historic classification schemes in which the family Arcellidae was subdivided on the basis of the overall appearance of the shell. In a classification scheme proposed by

Georges Deflandre Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...

in 1928, hemispherical shells possessing a "keel" around the perimeter of the shell were placed in the section Carinatae, while those lacking this keel were classified in section Vulgares. Species with notably flattened shells were assigned to the section Aplanatea. However, González-Miguéns et al. found that the evolutionary lineages revealed by their molecular analysis did not correspond neatly to Deflandre's subdivisions of the family. Instead, the authors identified two distinctive traits exclusive to ''Galeripora'': pores around the aperture of the shell, and an organic layer covering at least part of the shell. These characters were found to be absent in other members of Arcellidae, and were therefore suggested as possible

synapomorphies In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel character or character state that has evolved from its ancestral form (or plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy shared by two or more taxa and is therefore hypothesized to ...

for the new genus.

Ecology and habitat

Species of ''Galeripora'' are common and widely distributed in freshwater habitats, including ponds, wetlands, moss, and soil. Species have also been found in the sediments of saline lakes. Variations in overall shell morphology within Arcellidae are thought to have arisen largely through multiple evolutionary convergences, driven by ecological pressures rather than direct phylogenetic inheritance.

List of species

* '' Galeripora arenaria'' (Greeff, 1866) González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora artocrea'' (Leidy, 1876) González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora balari'' González-Miguéns et Lara, 2021 * '' Galeripora bathystoma'' (Deflandre, 1928) González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora bufonipellita'' González-Miguéns et Lara, 2021 * ''

Galeripora catinus ''Galeripora'' is a genus of testate amoebae in the family Arcellidae, closely related to ''Arcella''. Both genera share a proteinaceous organic shell, but ''Galeripora'' species are distinguished by pores surrounding their central circular apert ...

'' (Penard, 1890) González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora dentata'' (Ehrenberg, 1830) Siemensma, 2021 * '' Galeripora discoides'' (Ehrenberg, 1871) González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora galeriformis'' González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora halaurula'' Useros et al., 2023 * '' Galeripora jurassica'' (Olivier, 1944) Siemensma, 2021 * '' Galeripora marichusae'' Useros et al., 2023 * '' Galeripora megastoma'' (Penard, 1902) Siemensma, 2021 * '' Galeripora naiadis'' González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora ovaliformis'' (Chardez and Beyens, 1987) Siemensma, 2021 * '' Galeripora polypora'' (Penard, 1890) González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora rota'' (Daday, 1905) González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora scutelliformis'' (Playfair, 1918) Siemensma, 2021 * '' Galeripora sitiens'' González-Miguéns et al., 2021 * '' Galeripora succeli'' González-Miguéns & Lara, 2021

References

External links

Microworld: World of Amoeboid Organisms
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134414319 Amoebozoa genera Tubulinea