Uncovering the True Diversity of Chanterelle Mushrooms in Indiana

Jairus ChittendenFollow

Keywords

Chanterelle, Ecology, Systematics, Indiana Mycoflora Project, Indiana, DNA barcoding, Phylogentics

Select the category the research project fits.

Life Sciences

Is this submission part of ICaP/PW (Introductory Composition at Purdue/Professional Writing)?

No

Abstract

Chanterelles are some of the most popular wild mushrooms in Indiana and throughout the Midwest. These attractive orange and yellow fungi are a natural delicacy, and the global trade in chanterelles exceeds $1 billion per year. Like so many other clades of fungi, only a fraction of the chanterelles’ true diversity in North America is known to science. Given their economic and ecological value, I believe that chanterelles deserve a phylogenetic analysis using the full capabilities of modern DNA sequencing technology. This project will determine how many species of chanterelles there are within Indiana and how they are related to each other and species across the world. DNA was extracted from over 100 chanterelle specimens collected during the recent Indiana Mycoflora Project, and the genes for transcription elongation factor 1 (TEF1) and the large ribosomal subunit (LSU) were used as barcode regions. Incorporating observations of each specimen’s morphology, the sequence data were compared with previous database entries and published literature on Midwestern chanterelles. Evidence of chanterelle species never before recorded in the Midwest was found, and some specimens may represent species new to science. Further phylogenetic analysis will clarify chanterelle taxonomy, identifying synonymous and divergent species and establishing the evolutionary relationship between them. The project will contribute nearly 200 barcode sequences of Indiana chanterelles to public databases, and hopefully generate public interest in mycology from mushroom hunters throughout the state and beyond.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 

Uncovering the True Diversity of Chanterelle Mushrooms in Indiana

Chanterelles are some of the most popular wild mushrooms in Indiana and throughout the Midwest. These attractive orange and yellow fungi are a natural delicacy, and the global trade in chanterelles exceeds $1 billion per year. Like so many other clades of fungi, only a fraction of the chanterelles’ true diversity in North America is known to science. Given their economic and ecological value, I believe that chanterelles deserve a phylogenetic analysis using the full capabilities of modern DNA sequencing technology. This project will determine how many species of chanterelles there are within Indiana and how they are related to each other and species across the world. DNA was extracted from over 100 chanterelle specimens collected during the recent Indiana Mycoflora Project, and the genes for transcription elongation factor 1 (TEF1) and the large ribosomal subunit (LSU) were used as barcode regions. Incorporating observations of each specimen’s morphology, the sequence data were compared with previous database entries and published literature on Midwestern chanterelles. Evidence of chanterelle species never before recorded in the Midwest was found, and some specimens may represent species new to science. Further phylogenetic analysis will clarify chanterelle taxonomy, identifying synonymous and divergent species and establishing the evolutionary relationship between them. The project will contribute nearly 200 barcode sequences of Indiana chanterelles to public databases, and hopefully generate public interest in mycology from mushroom hunters throughout the state and beyond.