Five new species of Allographa discovered in the Western Ghats

Key Highlights:

• Five new species of lichen-forming fungi belonging to the genus Allographa have been discovered in the Western Ghats.
• The discovery was made by researchers from the MACS Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• Lichens are crucial indicators of forest health and environmental quality due to their sensitivity to pollution.
• The research integrated traditional taxonomic methods with modern molecular phylogenetics to identify the new species.

Detailed Insights:

• The newly discovered species are Allographa keralensis, A. nayakae, A. paraconsanguinea, A. persistinspersa, and A. semicarbonisata.
• This finding helps identify ecologically sensitive areas, strengthens environmental monitoring, and supports conservation policies.
• Allographa is a genus of script lichens within the family Graphidaceae, known for elongated fruiting bodies.
• The study used multi-locus DNA sequencing with mtSSU, nrLSU, and RPB2 genetic markers to evaluate species boundaries.
• Molecular data clarified evolutionary relationships, highlighting limitations of relying solely on external morphology for species identification.
• The research emphasizes the Western Ghats as a significant center of lichen diversity and provides valuable molecular reference sequences.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Lichen-forming fungi (Lichens): A symbiotic association between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium, sensitive to environmental changes.
• Molecular phylogenetics: The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms using molecular data, such as DNA sequences.
• Graphidaceae: A large family of lichen-forming fungi characterized by script-like fruiting bodies.
• DNA sequencing markers (mtSSU, nrLSU, RPB2): Specific regions of DNA used to identify species and reconstruct evolutionary histories.