Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41165014›Full record

ArticleMolecular ecology resources2026

A Novel Protistan Trait Database Reveals Functional Redundancy and Complementarity in Terrestrial Protists (Amoebozoa and Rhizaria).

Jule Freudenthal, Martin Schlegel, Michael Bonkowski, Kenneth Dumack

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular ecology resources, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jule FreudenthalTerrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Köln, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1745-9171
Martin SchlegelBiodiversity and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9273-2038
Michael BonkowskiTerrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Köln, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2656-1183
Kenneth DumackTerrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Köln, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8798-0483

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 221301018Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 447013012Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SPP 1991
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The inclusion of functional traits of protists in environmental sequencing surveys, in addition to the traditional taxonomic framework, is essential for a better understanding of their roles and impacts on ecosystem processes. We provide a database of functional traits for a widespread and important clade of protists-the Amoebozoa-based on extensive literature research in eight trait categories: Habitat, locomotion, nutrition, morphology, morphotype, size, spore formation, and disease-relatedness. The comparison of community traits of the Amoebozoa with sympatric but highly divergent Cercozoa (Rhizaria) revealed both convergent evolution of morphology or locomotion and distinct differences in habitat preference and feeding selectivity. Amoebozoa seem to be rather unselective in their prey choice compared to Cercozoa. Indeed, the feeding preferences of Amoebozoa appeared to be related to cell size, whereas Cercozoa selectively feed on prey. Applications to metatranscriptomic data from soil, litter, and bark surfaces revealed differences in the average community trait compositions and ecosystem functioning, such as an increased proportion of disease-related Amoebozoa in soil or different proportions of nutrition types of Amoebozoa and Cercozoa on bark. This database will facilitate ecological analyses of sequencing data and improve our understanding of the diversity of adaptations of Amoebozoa to the environment and their functional roles in ecosystems.

Indexed as

AmoebozoaRhizariaEcosystemecological traitsfunctional trait analysisfunctional trait reference databasemicrobial ecologypredator–preysoil

Identifiers

PMID41165014
PMCPMC12627902

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.