What is "lokiarchaeota"

Lokiarchaeota is a proposed phylum of the Archaea. A phylogenetic analysis disclosed a monophyletic grouping of the Lokiarchaeota with the eukaryotes. The analysis revealed several genes with cell membrane-related functions. The presence of such genes support the hypothesis of an archaeal host for the emergence of the eukaryotes; the eocyte-like scenarios.

Lokiarcheota was introduced in 2015 after the identification of a candidate genome in a metagenomic analysis of a mid-oceanic sediment sample. This analysis suggests the existence of a genus of unicellular life dubbed Lokiarchaeum. The sample was taken near a hydrothermal vent at a site known as Loki's Castle on Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean.