Rinodina gennarii Bagl., a new record of lichenized fungi for Antarctica

In a project aiming to determine the lichen biodiversity of James Ross Island which is located in the NE Antarctic Peninsula, 3 specimens growing on basaltic rocks were identified as Rinodina gennarii, a cosmopolite bipolar species which was never reported from Antarctica. This species is characteristic by having Dirinaria-type ascospores lacking a distinct torus and swelling around the septa in KOH. Detailed morphological and anatomical properties of this species along with photographs based on the Antarctic specimens are provided here. Our study and newly reported R. gennarii suggest that the lichen biodiversity of Antarctica is far from being fully known and detailed floristic and taxonomical revision studies should be carried to determine it

DNA barcoding and morphological observationsof three lichenized fungal species from James Ross Island(Antarctic Peninsula)

Antarctica seems to many people to be a very remote, isolated, and mysterious place at the end of the world, and its name is hardly mentioned in normal life and conversation. However, considering that it plays a key role in the rapidly warming global climate system and its contribution to the continuing sea-level rise, its importance today is increasing day by day and it can be seen that it is of vital importance for humanity. There is increasing interest in the distribution of terrestrial organisms in Antarctica because of the potential use of biodiversity as a predictor or indicator of climate change. Lichenized fungi cover large areas of Antarctica that are not covered by ice and form precursor organisms that thrive in harsh environments. They are the largest contributors to biomass and diversity. The characteristic features of these organisms can be counted as developing certain protective mechanisms, adapting to temperature and radiation, and surviving even when the amount of water in their body is minimized. On the other hand, lichenized fungi are the most dominant components of Antarctic terrestrial vegetation, and their adaptation to extreme conditions; growth forms, reproduction, adaptation to environmental conditions can also be explained through mechanisms. Because of the lichens, dominant organisms of Antarctica, studying lichen biodiversity is very important. Although around 500 species of lichens were reported from Antarctica, the lichen biodiversity of the continent is far from being fully known; as in the last 5 years of our studies on Antarctic lichens, we and other scientists reported a significant number of undescribed or unreported species. So the lichen biodiversity of Antarctica is not fully known as there are still many undescribed or unreported species on the continent. In this paper, we deal with three lichenized fungal species: Arthonia glebosa Tuck., Lecanora atromarginata (H. Magn.) Hertel &amp; Rambold and Lecidea tessellata Flörke which are common in James Ross Island, using nrITS, mtSSU, and RPB1 sequences. The lichen samples are studied by morphological and anatomical characters. In addition, to determine the phylogenetic positions of the species, we provide nrITS and mtSSU of these 3 species from Antarcticaand additionally RPB1 sequences of Lecidea tessellata.</div

Buellia epigaea (Pers.) Tuck, a new record of lichenized fungus species for Antarctica

Buellia epigaea, a terricolous lichenized fungal species known from numerous localities in Northern Hemisphere, but only from Australia in Southern Hemisphere, is reported from Antarctica for the first time. Here we provide morphological, anatomical, and molecular characteristics (nrITS) of this species. Besides, the differences of B. epigaeawith morphologically, ecologically or phylogenetically related species are discussed.</div

James Ross Adası (Antarktika Yarımadası, Antarktika)'ndan Bazı Likenleşmiş Mantarların DNA Barkodlaması

Antarktika’da zorlu çevresel koşullar nedeniyle canlıların yaşamı oldukçasınırlanmıştır. Zorlu çevresel koşullarda hayatta kalabilen likenleşmiş mantarlarAntarktika’nın baskın vejetasyonunu oluşturmaktadır. Antarktika’da likenleşmişmantarların biyoçeşitliliği ile ilgili çalışmalar anatomik ve morfolojik gözlemleredayalı olarak uzun yıllardır devam etmektedir. Ancak DNA barkodlamayöntemlerinin kullanılmasıyla son yıllarda bu çalışmalar hız kazanmaktadır ve hergeçen gün yeni türler keşfedilmektedir. Öte yandan geçmişten bu yana bilinentürlerin DNA barkodlamaları da yapılmakta ve anatomik/morfolojik teşhislerindoğrulanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda bu çalışmada James Ross Adası (AntarktikaYarımadası, Antarktika)’ndan daha önce rapor edilen likenleşmiş mantartürlerinden Catillaria contristans (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Gyalidea antarctica Øvstedal &amp;Vězda, Physconia muscigena (Ach.) Poelt, Rhizocarpon geminatum Körb., Steineraintricata (Øvstedal) Ertz ve Xanthocarpia tominii (Savicz) Frödén, Arup &amp; Søchtingtürlerinin nrITS’e dayalı DNA barkodlamaları yapılmıştır. Ayrıca çalışmada türlereait detaylı deskripsiyonlara da yer verilmiştir.Due to the harsh environmental conditions in Antarctica, the life of livingorganisms is very limited. Lichenized fungi, which can survive in harshenvironmental conditions, form the dominant vegetation of Antarctica. Studies onthe biodiversity of lichenized fungi in Antarctica have been conducted for manyyears based on anatomical and morphological observations. However, with the useof DNA barcoding methods, these studies have been accelerating in recent years andnew species are being discovered day to day. On the other hand, DNA barcoding ofknown species from the past is also done and anatomical/morphological diagnosesare confirmed. In this study, Catillaria contristans (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Gyalidea antarcticaØvstedal &amp; Vězda, Physconia muscigena (Ach.) Poelt, Rhizocarpon geminatum Körb.,Steinera intricata (Øvstedal) Ertz and Xanthocarpia tominii (Savicz) Frödén, Arup &amp;Søchting species based on nrITS DNA barcoding were performed. In addition,detailed descriptions of the species are also included in the study.</p

Three new records of lichenised fungi for Antarctica

As part of a project aiming to determine the lichenised fungal biodiversity of James Ross Island (Eastern coast of Antarctic Peninsula), we identified three infrageneric taxa which were previously not reported from Antarctica:&nbsp;Farnoldia micropsis&nbsp;(A. Massal.) Hertel,&nbsp;Gyalolechia epiphyta&nbsp;(Lynge) Vondrák and&nbsp;Placidium squamulosum&nbsp;var.&nbsp;argentinum&nbsp;(Räsänen) Breuss. Detailed morphological and anatomical properties of these species along with photographs based on the Antarctic specimens are provided here. In addition, the nrITS, mtSSU and/or RPB1 gene regions of the selected specimens are studied and the phylogenetic positions of the species are discussed. The DNA sequence data for&nbsp;Farnoldia micropsis&nbsp;are provided for the first time.&nbsp;Farnoldia micropsis&nbsp;and&nbsp;Gyalolechia epiphyta&nbsp;are also new to the Southern Hemisphere.</p

New record and new species of lichenized fungal genus <i>Candelariella</i> Müll. Arg. in Antarctica

Previously, only three Candelariella species were known from Antarctica: C. aurella, C. flava and C. vitellina. After morphologically and phylogenetically examining our collections on soil from James Ross Island, located in the north-east Antarctic Peninsula region, and Horseshoe Island, a small rocky island in Bourgeois Fjord, Marguerite Bay in the south-west Antarctic Peninsula, we describe the lichen species Candelariella ruzgarii as new to science. Sequences of the nrITS, mtSSU and RPB1 gene regions of the new species were amplified and revealed that the phylogenetic position of the new species is in the C. aurella group, which is characterised by 8-spored asci and ± granular thalli. Candelariella ruzgarii is phylogenetically most closely related to C. aurella s. lat. but differs mainly in ecology as the new species grows on soil or on terricolous lichens, whereas the latter species grows on calcareous rocks, rarely on wood. Morphologically, C. ruzgarii is very similar to C. aggregata, a Northern Hemisphere species that grows on mosses and plant debris. Apart from the different phylogenetical position, C. ruzgarii has a thicker and sometimes slightly crenulated thalline margin and somewhat shorter ascospores than C. aggregata. We also report C. plumbea for the first time from Antarctica, a species with a thick and grey thallus that was previously known from Europe and Asia

Shackletonia backorii (Teloschistaceae)-A new species of lichenised fungus from James Ross Island (Antarctic Peninsula)

© TÜBİTAK.The new lichen species Shackletonia backorii Halıcı, Güllü & Kahraman is described from James Ross Island, which is located in the North-East Antarctic Peninsula region. The new species is morphologically most similar to S. insignis (Søchting & Øvstedal) Søchting, Frödén & Arup, which was described from Livingstone Island (North-West Antarctic Peninsula region). These two species have a similar bluish grey to blackish thallus with a microfruticose and coralloid structure and red brown or almost black zeorine apothecia, but S. backorii has rhomboid ascospores and grows on soil whereas S. insignis has ellipsoid ascospores and occurs in sheltered crevices of rocks. The nrITS and mtSSU gene regions of the new species are studied and the phylogenetic position of the species is in the genus Shackletonia within the subfamily Xanthorioideae and it is clearly separated from the other species of the genus