Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates/Teloschistaceae/archive1

Draft TFA blurb edit

 
Teloschistes flavicans

The Teloschistaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi with a cosmopolitan distribution, although mostly in subtropical and temperate regions. Most either live on rock or on bark, and many are orange to yellow from anthraquinone which protects them from ultraviolet light, enabling expansion into sunny and arid ecosystems. They have a thallus that is leaf-like, bushy, or crusty, and partner with photosynthetic Trebouxia algae. A revision in 2013 recognised three subfamilies and 31 more genera. Since 2013, many new genera have been added and DNA studies are giving insights into relationships within this family's more than 800 species and around 120 genera, especially in regions like South America and China. Several rock-dwelling species are known to damage marble surfaces, and others are used in some traditional medicines. One member, Rusavskia elegans, is used in research as a model organism to investigate resilience against the harsh conditions of outer space. (Full article...)