Mastigella and Pelomyxa are closely related
• Evidenced by genetic similarities discovered during actin gene sequencing.
• Pelomyxa clustered with Mastigella on the phylogenetic tree, according to SSU rDNA sequencing.
• Results suggest the possibility that Pelomyxa evolved from Mastigella.
Further studies
• Different species of each genera
• Various geographic locations of each genera
(Morphological and Molecular Evidence Support a Close Relationship Between the Free-living Archamoebae Mastigella and Pelomyxa, 2015)