Ural Scientists Have Discovered Unknown Lichen Species in China

The discoveries were made during a large-scale expedition to the provinces of Gansu and Yunnan
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ural Federal University

Scientists from UrFU Department of Biodiversity and Bioecology with their colleagues from Taizhou University (China) have discovered unknown lichen species in China. The samples were collected during a large-scale expedition in the provinces of Gansu and Yunnan. Scientists plan to publish a description of the new species in a scientific journal.

“We repeated two expeditions that took place 100 years ago. In the province of Yunnan, we explored the areas where an expedition led by the Austrian botanist, Heinrich von Handel-Mazzetti, was conducted in 1914-1916. In Gansu province, we collected material on the route of the Sino-Swedish expedition led by Sven Hedin in 1927-1935,” said Alexander Paukov, a member of the expedition and professor at UrFU Department of Biodiversity and Bioecology.

The groups of lichens that biologists will study are about 40-60 million years old.
Photo Credit: Alexander Paukov's personal archive

New species have been discovered in lichen collections collected more than 100 years ago, with single specimens preserved in the herbariums of the University of Vienna and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Russian and Chinese biologists collected fresh material at the same places that European researchers had visited (the routes were documented), but this time, they managed not only to replicate the findings and collect extensive material, but also to discover new taxa that had not been previously described.

The groups of lichens that biologists will study are about 40-60 million years old.
Photo Credit: Alexander Paukov's personal archive

“Firstly, many samples collected 100 years ago are difficult to study today. DNA cannot be isolated from them, and modern molecular methods cannot be applied. Secondly, it's good that there is such a collection not only in Switzerland and Austria, but also in Russia, and our scientists have an opportunity to study these samples in Yekaterinburg,” stressed Alexander Paukov.

According to the researcher, from the point of view of biogeography, the territories from Gansu Province to Yunnan Province are of particular interest for understanding the evolution of many groups of plants and fungi. These lands, unaffected by global glaciation, have diverse conditions ranging from deserts to mountainous regions. This makes it possible to compare species diversity in mountains and deserts, as well as to identify where species with primitive and advanced features occur.

The groups of lichens that biologists will study are about 40-60 million years old.
Photo Credit: Alexander Paukov's personal archive

Preliminary estimates show that groups of lichen biologists will study are about 40-60 million years old.

In addition to unknown lichen species, biologists have discovered new ones in China. For example, Atrostelia is a new genus in the Megasporaceae family.

“Atrostelia is a new species and new genus of lichens that we discovered in the highlands of China. It is believed to be endemic to Tuva, but after we found it in China, we realized that it can also be found in the highland regions of Asia at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters. There is a possibility that it can be found in other places with similar climates, such as Mongolia or Eastern Kazakhstan,” added Alexander Paukov.

Over time, scientists will be able to name unknown species. After that, they will be registered in the international MycoBank database, and the DNA samples will be entered into GenBank, another international database. Then information about the new lichens will become available to scientists all over the world.

Published in journal: Pending

Source/Credit: Ural Federal University | Anastasia Pyankova

Reference Number: bio101325_01

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