Arcellinida
Arcellinida is a class of testate (cased) amoebae within the phylum Amoebozoa. Members of this group construct protective shells, or tests, from particles such as soil clays, sand grains, or biological materials. The tests are typically polymerized from secreted agglutinated material and vary in shape from globular to elongated forms.
Taxonomically, Arcellinida is divided into several orders, the most prominent being Arcellinida sensu stricto, for which
Ecologically, arcellinid amoebae inhabit a range of moist habitats, from forest leaf litter and peat bogs to
The life cycle of most Arcellinida consists of a single trophozoite stage that can encyst when conditions
Arcellinida have been used in paleoenvironmental reconstructions because test assemblages preserve well in sediment archives. Their