The discovery of living organisms recorded for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman and the Arabian Peninsula

2024-05-23 2024-05-23T13:08:34Z

Weather of Arabia - The Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, represented by the Oman Center for Animal and Plant Genetic Resources (Mawarid), announced in a press conference the discovery of new organisms known for the first time in the world, and others recorded for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman and the Arabian Peninsula. This announcement coincided with the International Day for Biological Diversity, which is sponsored by the United Nations and falls on May 22 of each year.

The press conference was sponsored and these discoveries were announced by Her Excellency Professor Dr. Rahma bint Ibrahim Al Mahrouqia, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation. The conference was attended by the research team that discovered the living organisms, a group of officials in the scientific research, investment and industry sectors, in addition to representatives of the local community and a group of school and university students.

The discovery of living organisms recorded for the first time in the Sultanate of #Oman and the Arabian Peninsula, represented by a group of large fungi collected from different areas in the #Dhofar Governorate. pic.twitter.com/rp9Jay6v0t

- Barq (@OMNNews) May 22, 2024

The discovery of fungi recorded for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman and the Arabian Peninsula

The Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, through the Oman Center for Animal and Plant Genetic Resources (Mawarid), announced the discovery of three new species of large fungi known for the first time in the world, in addition to ten other species recorded for the first time in Oman and the Arabian Peninsula. These were collected. Fungi from different regions in Dhofar Governorate during the fall of last year 2023, and were characterized in laboratories using modern techniques that rely on genetic sequencing, in addition to phenotypic characterization using a magnifying microscope.

The identification results, the names of the fungi, and information related to them were published in two peer-reviewed scientific journals, Pseudoea and Journal of Fungi. Among the fungi that were discovered, the fungi are considered the most famous in the Dhofar Governorate, and are harvested in the fall season. The research team agreed to give the scientific name Termitomyces dhofarensis (d. Dhafarensis) it. As for the second discovered mushroom, it was named Hymenagaricus wadijarzeezicus (H. Wadi Jarzeezus), and finally, the third mushroom received a Latin name derived from its external form, Hymenagaricus parvulus.

It is important that ten of the fungi identified are recorded for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman and the Arabian Peninsula, and some of them are known to have medicinal properties. Until now, the nutritional and medicinal properties of these first-discovered fungi are still completely unknown, as the research team is currently conducting multiple studies of these properties.