Diaphoretickes
Major eukaryotic clade encompassing most photosynthetic life.
Diaphoretickes is a major evolutionary lineage, or clade, of eukaryotic organisms spanning over 600,000 species. It comprises an enormous diversity of life forms, from single-celled protozoa to multicellular plants and numerous types of algae. The clade was discovered through phylogenetic analyses in the 21st century that revealed a close relationship between the supergroups Archaeplastida, Haptista, Cryptista, and SAR. It includes almost all photosynthetic eukaryotes and most of Earth's biomass, with land plants alone occupying over 81% of the total planet biomass.
- named
- 2012
- etymology
- From Greek διαφορετικές (diaforetikés) meaning 'diverse'
- major_groups
- Archaeplastida, SAR, Haptista, Cryptista, Telonemia
- estimated_species
- over 600,000
- defining_trait
- ancestral two flagella and ventral feeding groove
- unique_traits
- chloroplasts with chlorophyll c, heliozoan cells
Lore & Background
Before molecular analyses recovered this clade, evolutionary biologist Thomas Cavalier-Smith had already hypothesized an evolutionary proximity between plants and the remaining groups (collectively known as 'chromalveolates' in his classification system). He coined the term photokaryotes for these organisms, as they include almost all of the photosynthetic eukaryotes. He later called them corticates due to the presence of cortical alveoli in many of their members. In 2012, a publication by the International Society of Protistologists (ISOP) established a taxonomic name for this clade, Diaphoretickes, with a branch-based phylogenetic definition including several extant specifiers.
Reader's Guide
Diaphoretickes represents a fundamental reclassification of eukaryotic life based on molecular phylogenetics. Its discovery resolved long-standing uncertainties about the relationships among major groups such as plants, algae, and various protists. The clade includes almost all photosynthetic eukaryotes, making it central to understanding the evolution of photosynthesis and the global carbon cycle. Within Diaphoretickes, Cryptista and the heliozoan Microheliella maris form the clade Pancryptista, which is the closest relative to Archaeplastida, together forming the CAM clade. Haptista and SAR are closer to each other and to a clade of flagellates known as Telonemia. The name Diaphoretickes was controversial; in 2015, Cavalier-Smith and co-authors rejected it, arguing it was 'an entirely unnecessary, and less euphonious third synonym with no intuitive meaning' and suggested converting the pre-existing name Corticata instead, but this did not reach consensus.
Did You Know?
- Diaphoretickes includes over 600,000 species, from single-celled protozoa to multicellular plants.
- The clade was formally named in 2012 by the International Society of Protistologists.
- Chloroplasts with chlorophyll c and heliozoan cells are exclusive to Diaphoretickes.
- Thomas Cavalier-Smith had earlier hypothesized this grouping, calling it photokaryotes and later corticates.
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