Nassellaria are marine protists belonging to the Radiolaria lineage (Rhizaria). Their skeleton, made of opaline silica, exhibit an excellent fossil record, extremely valuable in micro-paleontological studies for paleo-environmental reconstruction. Yet, to date very little is known about the extant diversity and ecology of Nassellaria in contemporary oceans, and most of it is inferred from their fossil record. Here we present an integrative classification of Nassellaria based on taxonomical marker genes (18S and 28S ribosomal DNA) and morphological characteristics obtained by optical and scanning electron microscopy imaging. Our phylogenetic analyses distinguished 11 main morpho-molecular clades relying essentially on the overall morphology of the skeleton and not on internal structures as previously considered. Using fossil calibrated molecular clock we estimated the origin of Nassellaria among radiolarians primitive forms in the Devonian (ca. 420 Ma), that gave rise to living nassellarian groups in the Triassic (ca. 250 Ma), during the biggest diversification event over their evolutionary history. This morpho-molecular framework provides both a new morphological classification easier to identify under light microscopy and the basis for future molecular ecology surveys. Altogether, it brings a new standpoint to improve our scarce understanding of the ecology and worldwide distribution of extant nassellarians.

鼻虫是属于放射虫世系（Rhizaria）的海洋生物。它们的骨架由不透明硅石制成，具有出色的化石记录，在微观古生物学研究中对古环境的重建极为有价值。但是，到目前为止，对当代海洋中鹦鹉螺的多样性和生态学知之甚少，其中大部分是根据化石记录推断出来的。在这里，我们根据分类标记基因（18S和28S核糖体DNA）以及通过光学和扫描电子显微镜成像获得的形态特征，对鼻虫进行了综合分类。我们的系统发育分析区分了11个主要的形态分子进化枝，它们主要依靠骨架的整体形态，而不是先前认为的内部结构。使用化石校准的分子钟，我们估算了泥盆纪（约420 Ma）中放射虫原始形态中鼻虫的起源，这导致了三叠纪（约250 Ma）中活着的鼻虫群体，这是进化过程中最大的多样性事件。历史。这种形态-分子框架既提供了在光学显微镜下更易于识别的新形态学分类，又提供了未来分子生态学调查的基础。总而言之，它带来了新的观点，可以增进我们对现存鼻虫生态和全球分布的稀缺认识。在他们的进化史上最大的多样化事件中。这种形态-分子框架既提供了在光学显微镜下更易于识别的新形态学分类，又提供了未来分子生态学调查的基础。总体而言，它带来了新的观点，可增进我们对现存鼻虫生态和全球分布的稀缺认识。在他们的进化史上最大的多样化事件中。这种形态-分子框架既提供了在光学显微镜下更易于识别的新形态学分类，又提供了未来分子生态学调查的基础。总体而言，它带来了新的观点，可增进我们对现存鼻虫生态和全球分布的稀缺认识。