[Taxacom] help from Argentina

[Virginia Bianchinotti]

Hello Taxacomers,

Keith Seifert solved the quiz! Look at his answer below

Thanks to him and to Scott Readhead!

Virginia

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Redhead, Scott" <Scott.Redhead at AGR.GC.CA>
To: "Virginia Bianchinotti" <vbianchi at uns.edu.ar>; 
<taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 12:53 PM
Subject: RE: [Taxacom] help from Argentina


I asked my colleague, Keith Seifert, and he replied as follows:

-----Original Message-----
From: Seifert, Keith
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 4:48 PM
To: Redhead, Scott
Subject: RE: Odd organism in archeological dig in Argentina

Scott, perhaps you can send this message on. I'm not sure how to respond:

I believe the organism illustrated is Harpagomyces lomnicki, and extremely 
obscure organism of unknown affinities (despite the -myces name, it is 
unlikely to be a fungus). Here is the text on this genus from the book I am 
working on about genera of moulds, which includes as far as I know the only 
published reference to the organisms (at least under this name).

Harpagomyces Wilcz. 1911 -- Kosmos (Lvov) 36: 314 (314-316, Figs 1-4) / H. 
lomnickii Wilcz. 1911
Notes: Recorded as a contaminant from culture, the illustration in the 
protologue, of irregularly branched structures with hook-like appendages, 
makes it unlikely that this was a fungus.

I can provide a scan of the publication if required.

If someone else recognizes this organism as something else (like an alga) 
known in other literature, then it might solve a mystery for me also.

Regards,

Keith A. Seifert
Research Scientist | Chercheur scientifique
Biodiversity (Mycology and Botany) | Biodiversité (Mycologie et Botanique)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada | Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada
960 Carling Avenue | 960 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario | Ottawa (Ontario)
K1A 0C6
keith.seifert at agr.gc.ca
Telephone |Téléphone: 613-759-1378
Facsimile | Télécopieur: 613-759-1701
Teletypewriter | Téléimprimeur 613-759-7470

Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada