title: Ciliates and the rare biosphere: a review.
abstract: Here we provide a brief review of the rare biosphere from the perspective of ciliates and other microbial eukaryotes. We trace research on rarity from its lack of much in-depth focus in morphological and Sanger sequencing projects, to its central importance in analyses using high throughput sequencing strategies. The problem that the rare biosphere is potentially comprised of mostly errors is then discussed in the light of asking community-comparative, novel-diversity, and ecosystem-functioning questions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, University of Kaiserslautern, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Micah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dunthorn
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stoeck
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clamp
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahé
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem
keywords: Abundance; Ciliophora; biogeography; diversity; environmental diversity; rarity