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Indiconema: A New Diatom Genus Discovered in India’s Ghats
Context:
Researchers from the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) in Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, have made an exciting discovery in the pristine waters of the Eastern and Western Ghats.
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- The journal Phycologia reported one species of Indiconema in the Eastern Ghats and another in the Western Ghats.
- This pattern of sharing endemic species between two mountain ranges is also seen in other groups like reptiles.
What Are Diatoms? Diatoms are microscopic algae that play a crucial role in our everyday lives. They produce approximately 25% of the world’s oxygen—every fourth breath we take.
Features
- Valve Symmetry: Indiconema diatoms in the Gomphonemoid group are distinguished by their valve symmetry, featuring pore fields at both the head and foot poles, a unique trait among their relatives.
- Restricted Distribution: The genus highlights its limited distribution within India. It appears exclusively in the clean water rivers of the Eastern and Western Ghats.
Biogeographic Significance
- India’s diverse landscapes host nearly 6,500 diatom taxa, with 30% of them being endemic to the country.
- The Eastern and Western Ghats, part of peninsular India, feature diverse habitats due to varied geography, soil conditions, and climate, fostering unique diatom species adapted to specific environments.
- Based on morphological features it is closely related to Afrocymbella, a genus endemic to East Africa. This similarity hints at historical connections between the two regions.