The Taxonomy of the Genus Entamoeba (Archamoebea: Endamoebidae): A Historical and Nomenclatural Review
Lorena Esteban-Sánchez, Rafael Alberto Martínez-Díaz, Francisco Ponce-Gordo

TL;DR
This paper reviews the history and challenges of classifying Entamoeba species, proposing modern principles for taxonomy based on molecular and biological evidence.
Contribution
The paper proposes a pragmatic framework for Entamoeba taxonomy emphasizing molecular evidence and lineage-based species delimitation.
Findings
Historical taxonomy of Entamoeba was inconsistent due to limited morphological and host-based criteria.
Molecular data has revealed cryptic species and clarified interspecific relationships.
The paper outlines principles for future taxonomic work, prioritizing molecular evidence and biological context.
Abstract
Throughout history, species within the genus Entamoeba have been described using criteria that were not always applied consistently, resulting in an often confusing and controversial taxonomy. Several factors contributed to this situation, including the limited number of morphological characters available for taxonomic studies, overlapping host ranges, mixed infections, and a cosmopolitan distribution associated with human and animal movements. The incorporation of genetic data as diagnostic and differential criteria during the second half of the twentieth century enabled the recognition of cryptic species and the proposal of new taxa; however, significant taxonomic issues remain unresolved. This review summarizes the historical development and major controversies in the taxonomy of Entamoeba, from its origins in the late nineteenth century, when morphology and host association were the…
Genes, proteins, chemicals, diseases, species, mutations and cell lines named across the full text — each resolved to its canonical identifier and authoritative record.
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsAmoebic Infections and Treatments · Parasites and Host Interactions · Legionella and Acanthamoeba research
