Whether anything ever lived on Mars is unknown. And the present environment, with harsh temperatures, intense radiation, and ...

If you’ve spent a lot of time outdoors in New England, you’ve likely crossed paths with, and probably stepped on, lichens.

Researchers exposed two lichen species to Mars-like atmospheric conditions for five hours—and one performed impressively.

In an experiment simulating harsh Martian conditions, including X-ray radiation, scientists discovered that certain lichens ...

After nearly 100 years of study, the consensus by the 21st century was that the lichens of the Smokies were a known quantity. Biologists estimated that the 463 species that had been documented in ...

Certain lichen species, specifically Diploschistes muscorum and Cetraria aculeata, can survive Mars-like conditions, including ionizing radiation, while remaining metabolically active.

The Museum has a lichen identification guide to help you look for and find different types of lichen in your area. To grow, lichens get their nutrients from the air. Because lichens have no roots or ...

Lichens are characteristic elements of temperate and tropical forests. We are studying the spatial patterns of lichen species richness and community composition along different scales, from individual ...