Choanozoa

Choanozoa
Temporal range:
Codonosiga
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Amorphea
Clade: Obazoa
Clade: Opisthokonta
Clade: Holozoa
Clade: Filozoa
Clade: Choanozoa
Brunet and King, 2017
Subdivisions
Synonyms
  • Apoikozoa Budd & Jensen, 2015
  • Choanimal Fairclough et al., 2013

Choanozoa is a clade of opisthokont eukaryotes consisting of the choanoflagellates (Choanoflagellatea) and the animals (Animalia, Metazoa). The sister-group relationship between the choanoflagellates and animals has important implications for the origin of the animals. The clade was identified in 2015 by Graham Budd and Sören Jensen, who used the name Apoikozoa. The 2018 revision of the classification first proposed by the International Society of Protistologists in 2012 recommends the use of the name Choanozoa.