The genus, which has an interesting set of characteristics that distinguish it from the other members of the Gomphonemoid group in terms of valve symmetry and other specific valve characteristics, has been named Indiconema to take into account its restricted distribution in the country, reported the Ministry of Science and Technology. . announced on Thursday.
Diatoms are microscopic algae that play a crucial role in our daily lives by producing 25 percent of global oxygen, about one in every four breaths of oxygen we inhale.
They serve as the base of the aquatic food chain. Because of their sensitivity to any changes in water chemistry, they are excellent indicators of aquatic health.
The research highlights the importance of diatoms in shaping the biodiversity of India's diverse landscapes.
Indiconema discovered by scientists at Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, differs in that it has a field of pores on both the head and foot pole instead of having it alone at the pole of the feet.
The evolution of monsoons structured the rainforest biome in the Indian peninsula and the associated variable humidity, which has a direct role in shaping the diatom flora.
Research published in the journal Phycologia reports on one species of Indiconema from the Eastern Ghats and another from the Western Ghats.
A similar pattern of sharing endemic elements between two mountain systems has been observed for other endemic-rich groups, such as reptiles.
Furthermore, based on the morphological characteristics of this group, researchers have suggested that Indiconema is sister to Afrocymbella, a genus endemic to East Africa. Early studies noted that the current study association supports similarities between Gomphonema species from India and those from East Africa and Madagascar.
The discovery supported by the erstwhile SERB, now ANRF, underlines the importance of ongoing research in unraveling the mysteries of diatom biogeography and their role in shaping the biodiversity of India's diverse landscapes.
Diatoms are the first microorganisms recorded in India, with the first report by Ehrenberg dating back to 1845 in his voluminous publication Mikrogeologie.
Since then, several studies in India have recorded diatoms from marine and freshwater environments.
A rough estimate claims that there are nearly 6,500 diatom taxa, of which 30 percent are endemic (restricted to a particular region) to India, suggesting India's unique biodiversity.
Furthermore, various biogeographic zones are home to various species with a diversity of habitats ranging from freshwater to marine, from sea level to high mountains, and from alkaline lakes to acidic swamps.
Peninsular India includes the Eastern and Western Ghats and has distinct physiographic, edaphic and climatic gradients appreciating a wide range of habitats with unique geographical positions and supporting unique assemblages of diatoms.
Diatoms are microscopic algae that play a crucial role in our daily lives by producing 25 percent of global oxygen, about one in every four breaths of oxygen we inhale.
They serve as the base of the aquatic food chain. Because of their sensitivity to any changes in water chemistry, they are excellent indicators of aquatic health.
The research highlights the importance of diatoms in shaping the biodiversity of India's diverse landscapes.
Indiconema discovered by scientists at Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, differs in that it has a field of pores on both the head and foot pole instead of having it alone at the pole of the feet.
The evolution of monsoons structured the rainforest biome in the Indian peninsula and the associated variable humidity, which has a direct role in shaping the diatom flora.
Research published in the journal Phycologia reports on one species of Indiconema from the Eastern Ghats and another from the Western Ghats.
A similar pattern of sharing endemic elements between two mountain systems has been observed for other endemic-rich groups, such as reptiles.
Furthermore, based on the morphological characteristics of this group, researchers have suggested that Indiconema is sister to Afrocymbella, a genus endemic to East Africa. Early studies noted that the current study association supports similarities between Gomphonema species from India and those from East Africa and Madagascar.
The discovery supported by the erstwhile SERB, now ANRF, underlines the importance of ongoing research in unraveling the mysteries of diatom biogeography and their role in shaping the biodiversity of India's diverse landscapes.
Diatoms are the first microorganisms recorded in India, with the first report by Ehrenberg dating back to 1845 in his voluminous publication Mikrogeologie.
Since then, several studies in India have recorded diatoms from marine and freshwater environments.
A rough estimate claims that there are nearly 6,500 diatom taxa, of which 30 percent are endemic (restricted to a particular region) to India, suggesting India's unique biodiversity.
Furthermore, various biogeographic zones are home to various species with a diversity of habitats ranging from freshwater to marine, from sea level to high mountains, and from alkaline lakes to acidic swamps.
Peninsular India includes the Eastern and Western Ghats and has distinct physiographic, edaphic and climatic gradients appreciating a wide range of habitats with unique geographical positions and supporting unique assemblages of diatoms.
