Fungal strains isolated from rocks and lichens collected in the Antarctic
ice-free area of the Victoria Land, one of the coldest and driest habitats on
earth, were found in two phylogenetically isolated positions within the
subclass Dothideomycetidae. They are here reported as new genera and
species, Recurvomyces mirabilis gen. nov., sp.
nov. and Elasticomyces elasticus gen. nov., sp.
nov. The nearest neighbours within the clades were other rock-inhabiting
fungi from dry environments, either cold or hot. Plant-associated
Mycosphaerella-like species, known as invaders of leathery leaves in
semi-arid climates, are also phylogenetically related with the new taxa. The
clusters are also related to the halophilic species Hortaea
werneckii, as well as to acidophilic fungi. One of the latter, able to
grow at pH 0, is Scytalidium acidophilum, which is ascribed here to
the newly validated genus Acidomyces. The ecological implications of
this finding are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.