Nitzschia excavata sp. nov. (Bacillariaceae), a new diatom species from a post-mining reservoir revealed by morphology, molecular phylogeny, and metabarcoding-based biogeography
Rafał M Olszyński, David G Mann, Piotr K Zakrzewski, Łukasz Peszek, Éva Ács, Sára Shemesh, Rosa Trobajo · 2026
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Description
Rafał M. Olszyński and colleagues describe a new diatom species in a Polish coal pit in a 2026 taxonomy paper. The Bogdałów reservoir, formed when a lignite mine filled with water, is alkaline and mineralized, and its conditions have nurtured communities of diatoms, the glass-shelled algae that anchor food webs. The genus Nitzschia is well represented there.
Combining light, electron, and confocal microscopy with DNA sequences from three gene markers, the team showed that one population forms a lineage with shell features, and they named it Nitzschia excavata. Then came a surprise: searching environmental DNA databases turned up identical or near-identical sequences in fresh waters across Europe and China, meaning the supposedly local novelty is widespread but had been overlooked. The authors use the case to argue that pairing classical microscopy with molecular surveys reveals cryptic variety, and that artificial habitats can hold species found worldwide.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Rafał M Olszyński, David G Mann, Piotr K Zakrzewski, Łukasz Peszek, Éva Ács, Sára Shemesh, Rosa Trobajo |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 60 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |