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Symbiosis drove cellular evolution

Symbiosis fueled evolution of lineages of Foraminifera (eukaryotic cells) into exceptionally complex giant protists

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Abstract

Anthropocentric cultural bias led to conceptualizations of evolution as a tree with branches leading to a crown of vertebrates and higher plants. Gradually refined over the years it became part of common scientific culture to think of eukaryotic evolution as process by which cells, limited by surface to volume ratios and other factors, became specialized, leading to multi-cellularity and eventually to the crowned tree. Knowledge of other pathways of cellular evolution is available, but not broadly recognized. Molecular systematics, genetic analyses and ultrastructural comparisons have changed our outlook on evolution and the diversity of life. The discovery of a huge (average size 2.1 cm) unicellular, new, exceptionally complex, dinoflagellate-hosting soritid foraminiferan from the Heron-Wistori Channel, (GBR Australia) gave impetus to re-explore some old ideas on cellular evolution and place them in a contemporary context. In particular, it caused change in perspective of the evolution of the collective group known as larger foraminifera (LF). They exemplify the power by which symbiosis drove the evolution of a predisposed and malleable group of organisms. The factors that underlay foraminiferan predisposition to symbioses with algae are discussed. Each of the evolutionary lines of LF has developed, in its own way, amazing structural adaptations making them extremely complex giant cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, City College of City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    John J. Lee, Megan H. Cervasco & Morgan Billik

  2. Department of Invertebrates, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA

    John J. Lee & Megan H. Cervasco

  3. Central Electron Microscope Facility, City College of City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Jorge Morales

  4. The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Science, Eilat, Israel

    Maoz Fine

  5. The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel

    Maoz Fine & Oren Levy

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  1. John J. Lee
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  2. Megan H. Cervasco
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Correspondence to John J. Lee.

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Lee, J.J., Cervasco, M.H., Morales, J. et al. Symbiosis drove cellular evolution. Symbiosis 51, 13–25 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-010-0056-4

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