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Opisthokonta is a major group within the domain Eukarya that includes both animals and fungi. A defining characteristic of this group is the presence of a posterior flagellum at some stage in their life cycle, although this has been secondarily lost in some members. They also typically have flattened mitochondrial cristae.12

The classification of Opisthokonta reflects phylogenetic relationships, moving away from older systems based solely on morphology. This group, along with single-celled choanoflagellates, forms a supergroup within eukaryotes.1

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