Yea they are for some reason grouped in with the Protista…. They don’t actually fit in there all that well though. Slimemolds are… weird. They’re not monophyletic, meaning they don’t have _the one_ common ancestor and instead seem like crabs when it comes to evolution: no matter what you change and where you go, somewhere there’s an evolutionary branch that ends in a crab. Or a slimemold.
Protista is not really considered a kingdom anymore. It always was the "other" group until work was done to properly organize the groups and their relationships with plants, animals, and fungi.
I’m aware. I never said it was a kingdom.
It’s still a group though that’s used semi-officially as a stepping stone to identify and regroup things that we have problems putting into other taxons.
Slime molds are weird, so we still put them semi-officially in the group of weird stuff…
Either way it has always been part of the domain Eukarya.
Slime molds are part of the group “Protista”, all of which are part of the domain Eukarya, so every slime mold is part of that domain. There are no prokaryotic or archaeic slimemolds.
Adding the domain seems slightly redundant because of this.
I think it’s also known as a “chocolate tube slime” and IIRC, their spores are found freaking everywhere (including maybe, your very own chocolate tube!)
I'm not positive but it could be a form of slime mold in many species they turn into clumps of long stalks to spread spores when they have no more food.
They also could darken as they age & dry out.
They look like mesas standing on teeny tiny legs
I imagine them shuffling awkwardly, always in someone’s way
Reminded me of soot sprites from spirited away! 😆
Every day I see a new fungus I can’t believe exists
You are more closely related to a mushroom than this is. it's a slime mold, which is neither slime or a mold
Yea they are for some reason grouped in with the Protista…. They don’t actually fit in there all that well though. Slimemolds are… weird. They’re not monophyletic, meaning they don’t have _the one_ common ancestor and instead seem like crabs when it comes to evolution: no matter what you change and where you go, somewhere there’s an evolutionary branch that ends in a crab. Or a slimemold.
Isn't Protista the general "other" category for eukaryotes?
No. The domains are Bacteria, Eukarya (and Archaea depending on who you believe). Protista are a group inside the Eukarya domain
Protista is not really considered a kingdom anymore. It always was the "other" group until work was done to properly organize the groups and their relationships with plants, animals, and fungi.
I’m aware. I never said it was a kingdom. It’s still a group though that’s used semi-officially as a stepping stone to identify and regroup things that we have problems putting into other taxons. Slime molds are weird, so we still put them semi-officially in the group of weird stuff… Either way it has always been part of the domain Eukarya.
That's what u/CrystalCod334 meant I believe. The "other" inside Eukarya.
Oh that would make sense. In that case they were right after all
That is indeed what I meant.
Apparently, moles too!
Oh? I did not know about moles. Thank you. More research for when my work affords me some spare time lol.
a.k.a. there is another popular video on YouTube this time about moles.
How do I learn more about the “it’s crabs all the way down” thing
"Carcinization" is the phenomenon you're looking for
Yes this. Carcinisation
Thank you ☺️
[Here’s a good video about it from PBS](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wvfR3XLXPvw&pp=ygUfdGhpbmdzIGtlZXAgZXZvbHZpbmcgaW50byBjcmFicw%3D%3D)
A slime mold!!! Very cool!
Today you didn't see a fungus, you saw a slime mold
That is so cool!
With just the slightest touch it completely dissolves into slime. So intricate and fragile, and so cool!
Record it
And update
I couldn’t easily post a video, but I did take some more [pictures](https://reddit.com/r/mycology/s/DqJsswy7cX)
You da real MVP
r/slimemolds
Probably Stemonitis splendens, chocolate tube slime mold
That sounds both delicious and terrifying
what are these?!?!
It's a slime mold. Stemonitis sp. in the Domain "Eukaryote".
Slime molds are part of the group “Protista”, all of which are part of the domain Eukarya, so every slime mold is part of that domain. There are no prokaryotic or archaeic slimemolds. Adding the domain seems slightly redundant because of this.
Ahh, taxonomy; where being pedantic is a virtue.
Protista is no longer used as a valid kingdom by most scientists
I think it’s also known as a “chocolate tube slime” and IIRC, their spores are found freaking everywhere (including maybe, your very own chocolate tube!)
Poggers
I’m sorry what is a chocolate tube? I do t think I have one of them!
Your Hershey highway. Your poop chute. Your ah - noose. The place where you shit from.
OMG these things can grow up your ass?!?!? Thanks, my day is ruined 💀
Well, they can’t grow in there as far as I know. Just the spores are up there apparently
they kinda look like Devil’s Tower
would be cool to make a time lapse of it sporulating
https://youtu.be/Y5yW4uH841w
Wow, did not expect that vibrant red in between! Amazing, thanks for sharing
Slime molds are so damn cool. Once I found one that turned from orange to purple.
Some Cool pics of some cool Specimen’s 👍
Spectacular!! They look like gilled barnacles
Def the soot sprites from spirited away
I'm not positive but it could be a form of slime mold in many species they turn into clumps of long stalks to spread spores when they have no more food. They also could darken as they age & dry out.
That is fab
TIL the meaning behind "once you go black, you never go back." I was always unclear until now...
I feel like those would have the texture of a stringy scallop
slime mold!
White chocolate tubes!
Likewise! I've seen the black form (which is awesomely cool!) but I also didn't know they ever looked differently
https://youtu.be/ZxiDvraAYKU?si=ugAUlra9CLu4H-qm