Lichen fungi that experts believed to be a single species has turned out to be upwards of 126 different varieties upon closer inspection. Lichen tend to vary a lot in color and other traits within a single species, so experts had overlooked the large number of different species that exist. One lichen fungi that experts believed to be a single species has turned out to be upwards of 126 different varieties upon closer inspection. Lichen tend to vary a lot in color and other traits within a single species, so experts had not realized that a large number of different species could exist. Researchers from The Field Museum in Chicago and George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia as well as institutions in Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica, have analyzed samples from Central and South America and identified the different species that had previously been grouped under a single name. The authors of the study wrote: "These results call into question species concepts in presumably well-known macrolichens and demonstrate the need for accurately documenting such species richness, given the importance of these lichens in endangered ecosystems such as paramos and the alarming potential for species losses throughout the tropics." Lichen is a combination of fungus and a type of photosynthetic plant, but the fungal part ends up being named. The researchers are continuing their study and expect to identify additional species of lichen, with estimates ranging up to 452, which they are now classifying under two main groups called Cora and Corella.

• published: 04 Jul 2014
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