Zoopagomycotina

Zoopagomycotina is a subphylum of fungi within the phylum Zoopagomycota. It represents one of the early-diverging lineages of true fungi and was historically grouped within Zygomycota, a classification that has since been revised as fungal taxonomy was reorganized on molecular grounds.

Members of Zoopagomycotina are predominantly small and ecologically diverse, with many taxa adopting parasitic or predatory lifestyles. They interact with animals and microfauna, including amoebae, nematodes, and other fungi. These interactions range from intracellular parasitism to fungivory and hyperparasitism, and they occur in soil, freshwater, and sometimes marine environments. The group includes several lineages, such as the order Zoopagales, among others, whose members have been documented mainly through molecular surveys and specialized culture studies.

Phylogenetically, Zoopagomycotina is recognized as a distinct early-branching fungal lineage. Its relationships to other early-diverging fungal groups have been clarified by analyses of ribosomal RNA genes and multigene datasets, although exact circumscription varies with new data. The study of Zoopagomycotina contributes to understanding the evolution of parasitism and predation in fungi and helps illuminate transitions toward more complex Dikaryotic lineages.

See also: Fungal taxonomy, Zoopagomycota, early fungal evolution.