Thaumarchaeota

Thaumarchaeota
Scientific classification
Domain:	Archaea
Kingdom:	"Euryarchaeota"
Phylum:	"Thaumarchaeota" Brochier-Armanet et al. 2008
Class
Nitrososphaeria Stieglmeier et al. 2014 "Candidatus Caldiarchaeum" Nunoura et al. 2011 "Candidatus Caldiarchaeum subterraneum" Nunoura et al. 2011 "Candidatus Giganthauma" Muller et al. 2010 "Candidatus Giganthauma insulaporcus" Muller et al. 2010 "Candidatus Giganthauma karukerense" Muller et al. 2010 "Candidatus Nitrosopelagicus" Santoro et al. 2014 "Candidatus Nitrosopelagicus brevis" Santoro et al. 2014 "Candidatus Nitrosotalea" Lehtovirta 2011 "Candidatus Nitrosotalea devanaterra" Lehtovirta 2011 Cenarchaeales Cavalier-Smith 2002 "Cenarchaeaceae" DeLong and Preston 1996 Cenarchaeum ♠ DeLong and Preston 1996 Cenarchaeum symbiosum ♠ DeLong and Preston 1996 Nitrososphaerales Stieglmeier et al. 2014 Nitrososphaeraceae Stieglmeier et al. 2014 Nitrososphaera Stieglmeier et al. 2014 "Candidatus Nitrososphaera evergladensis" Zhainina et al. 2013 "Candidatus Nitrososphaera gargensis" Hatzenpichler et al. 2008 Nitrososphaera viennensis Stieglmeier et al. 2014 "Candidatus Nitrosopumilales" Konneke et al. 2005 "Candidatus Nitrosopumilaceae" Konneke et al. 2005 "Candidatus Nitrosoarchaeum" Blainey et al. 2011 "Candidatus Nitrosoarchaeum koreensis" Kim et al. 2011 "Candidatus Nitrosoarchaeum limnia" Blainey et al. 2011 "Candidatus Nitrosotenuis" Lebedeva et al. 2013 "Candidatus Nitrosotenuis uzonensis" Lebedeva et al. 2013 "Candidatus Nitrosotenuis cloacae" Li et al. 2016 "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus" Konneke et al. 2005 "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus koreensis" Park et al. 2012 "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus salaria" Mosier et al. 2012 "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus maritimus" Konneke et al. 2005

The Thaumarchaeota or Thaumarchaea (from the Greek 'thaumas', meaning wonder) are a phylum of the Archaea proposed in 2008 after the genome of Cenarchaeum symbiosum was sequenced and found to differ significantly from other members of the hyperthermophilic phylum Crenarchaeota. Three described species in addition to C. symbosium are Nitrosopumilus maritimus, Nitrososphaera viennensis, and Nitrososphaera gargensis. All organisms of this lineage thus far identified are chemolithoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizers and may play important roles in biogeochemical cycles, such as the nitrogen cycle and the carbon cycle.

The phylum was proposed in 2008 based on phylogenetic data, such as the sequences of these organisms' ribosomal RNA genes, and the presence of a form of type I topoisomerase that was previously thought to be unique to the eukaryotes. This assignment was confirmed by further analysis published in 2010 that examined the genomes of the ammonia-oxidizing archaea Nitrosopumilus maritimus and Nitrososphaera gargensis, concluding that these species form a distinct lineage that includes Cenarchaeum symbiosum.

See also

• Eocyte hypothesis