Phylogeny
The sulfate-reducing bacteria have been treated as a phenotypic group, together with the other sulfur-reducing bacteria, for identification purposes. They are found in several different phylogenetic lines. As of 2009, 60 genera containing 220 species of sulfate-reducing bacteria were known.
Among the Deltaproteobacteria the orders of sulfate-reducing bacteria include: Desulfobacterales, Desulfovibrionales and Syntrophobacterales. This accounts for the largest group of sulfate-reducing bacteria, about 23 genera.
The second largest group of sulfate-reducing bacteria.is found among the Firmicutes, including the genera Desulfotomaculum, Desulfosporomusa and Desulfosporosinus.
In the Nitrospirae division we find sulfate-reducing Thermodesulfovibrio species.
Two more groups that include thermophile sulfate-reducing bacteria are given their own phyla, the Thermodesulfobacteria and Thermodesulfobium.
There are also three genera of Archaea known to be capable of sulfate reduction: Archaeoglobus, Thermocladium and Caldivirga. They are found in hydrothermal vents, oil deposits, and hot springs.
Read more about this topic: Sulfate-reducing Bacteria