The shells of testate amoebae are morphologically diverse and persistent in the environment. Accordingly, the examination of the morphology and composition of shells became a standard tool in ecological, palaeoecological, and evolutionary studies. However, so far the function of the shell remains poorly understood and, although based on limited evidence, the shell was considered as a defense mechanism. Based on recent evidence, we propose that the shell of arcellinid testate amoebae is a crucial component facilitating the amoebae's attack of large prey. Accordingly, the shell is not purely protective, but must be considered also as a weapon. This change in perspective opens up numerous new avenues in protistology and will lead to a substantial change in ecological, palaeoecological, and evolutionary research.
CITATION STYLE
Dumack, K., Lara, E., Duckert, C., Ermolaeva, E., Siemensma, F., Singer, D., … Mitchell, E. A. D. (2024). It’s time to consider the Arcellinida shell as a weapon. European Journal of Protistology, 92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2024.126051
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