The Choanoflagellates
Evolution, Biology and Ecology

A unique account of the biology, ecology and evolution of choanoflagellates - the closest, known, living, unicellular relatives of animals.

Barry S. C. Leadbeater (Author)

9780521884440, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 January 2015

350 pages, 470 b/w illus. 43 tables
25.3 x 19.4 x 2 cm, 0.87 kg

'The Choanoflagellates is an excellent and authoritative book that covers all aspects of this group of protozoans and it will remain so for quite some time. It can be warmly recommended to protozoologists and to anyone interested in the origin of metazoans and in the evolution of multicellularity.' Tom Fenchel, The Quarterly Review of Biology

Choanoflagellates have three distinctive claims to fame: they are the closest, living, unicellular relatives of animals; they are a major component of aquatic microbial foodwebs; and one group is remarkable for its siliceous basket-like coverings. This landmark book offers a unique synthesis of over forty years of choanoflagellates research. Key areas are covered, from the phylogenetic evidence supporting the sister-group relationship between choanoflagellates and Metazoa, to choanoflagellate distribution and diversity in marine and freshwater environments. The structure and assembly of choanoflagellate loricae is also presented together with a full discussion of a novel example of 'regulatory evolution', suggesting that the switch from nudiform to tectiform cell division and lorica production was achieved by a sudden reorganisation of existing structures and mechanisms. Providing an authoritative summary of what is currently known about choanoflagellates, this title will serve as a foundation upon which future research and discussion can take place.

Preface
1. Historical perspectives
2. The collared flagellate: functional morphology and ultrastructure
3. Craspedida: choanoflagellates with exclusively organic coverings
4. Loricate choanoflagellates: Acanthoecida
5. Loricate choanoflagellates: requirement for silicon and its deposition in costal strips
6. Loricate choanoflagellates: Acanthoecidae – nudiform species
7. Loricate choanoflagellates: Stephanoecidae – tectiform species
8. Loricate choanoflagellates: evolutionary relationship between the nudiform and tectiform conditions
9. Choanoflagellate ecology
10. Choanoflagellate phylogeny: evolution of metazoan multicellularity
Glossary
Figure credits
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Marine biology [PSPM], Freshwater biology [PSPF], Cellular biology [cytology PSF], Evolution [PSAJ], Biology, life sciences [PS]