The choanoflagellates are a group of free-living unicellular and colonial flagellateeukaryotes considered to be the closest living relatives of the animals. Choanoflagellates are collared flagellates, having a funnel shaped collar of interconnected microvilli at the base of a flagellum. Choanoflagellates are capable of both asexual and sexual reproduction.[9] They have a distinctive cell morphology characterized by an ovoid or spherical cell body 3–10 μm in diameter with a single apical flagellum surrounded by a collar of 30–40 microvilli (see figure). Movement of the flagellum creates water currents that can propel free-swimming choanoflagellates through the water column and trap bacteria and detritus against the collar of microvilli, where these foodstuffs are engulfed. This feeding provides a critical link within the global carbon cycle, linking trophic levels. In addition to their critical ecological roles, choanoflagellates are of particular interest to evolutionary biologists studying the origins of multicellularity in animals. As the closest living relatives of animals, choanoflagellates serve as a useful model for reconstructions of the last unicellular ancestor of animals. Crown group craspedids (and perhaps crown group choanoflagellates if Acanthoecida arose within Craspedida[10]) appeared 422,78 million years ago.[11]
^Adl SM, Bass D, Lane CE, Lukeš J, Schoch CL, Smirnov A, Agatha S, Berney C, Brown MW, Burki F, Cárdenas P, Čepička I, Chistyakova L, del Campo J, Dunthorn M, Edvardsen B, Eglit Y, Guillou L, Hampl V, Heiss AA, Hoppenrath M, James TY, Karnkowska A, Karpov S, Kim E, Kolisko M, Kudryavtsev A, Lahr DJG, Lara E, Le Gall L, Lynn DH, Mann DG, Massana R, Mitchell EAD, Morrow C, Park JS, Pawlowski JW, Powell MJ, Richter DJ, Rueckert S, Shadwick L, Shimano S, Spiegel FW, Torruella G, Youssef N, Zlatogursky V, Zhang Q (2019). "Revisions to the Classification, Nomenclature, and Diversity of Eukaryotes". Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 66 (1): 4–119. doi:10.1111/jeu.12691. PMC6492006. PMID30257078.
^Nitsche F, Carr M, Arndt H, Leadbeater BS (2011). "Higher level taxonomy and molecular phylogenetics of the Choanoflagellatea". The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 58 (5): 452–62. doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.2011.00572.x. PMID21895836. S2CID2076733.
^Cavalier-Smith T (1998). "Neomonada and the origin of animals and fungi.". In Coombs GH, Vickerman K, Sleigh MA, Warren A (eds.). Evolutionary relationships among protozoa. London: Kluwer. pp. 375–407.