Search results for "black stains"
showing 3 items of 3 documents
The impact of arthropods on fungal community structure in Lascaux Cave
2009
Aims: To determine the major components of the fungal population present in Lascaux Cave, France. The ceiling, walls, sediments and soil were colonized by Fusarium solani in 2001 and later, in 2006, black stains appeared. However, the origin of the successive fungal invasions is unknown as well as the ecology of the cave. Methods and Results: The primers nu-SSU-0817F and nu-SSU-1536R were used for the direct amplification of fungal 18S-rDNA sequences from 11 samples. A total of 607 clones were retrieved. Eight out of the ten most abundant phylotypes corresponded to fungi associated with arthropods and represented about 50% of the clones. Conclusions: Entomophilous fungi play an important ro…
Two new species of the genus Ochroconis, O. lascauxensis and O. anomala isolated from black stains in Lascaux Cave, France
2012
In the year 2001, some conspicuous black stains appeared on the walls of Lascaux Cave in France, which progressively disseminated throughout the cave. These black stains were so evident by 2007 that they have become one of the cave's major problems. In a mycological study of the black stains, Ochroconis strains were abundant among the isolates and constituted the major group of melanised fungi. Two new species of the genus Ochroconis, O. lascauxensis and O. anomala, were isolated and described. The description is based on the morphology of the fungi and the phylogenetic relationships of two of its gene regions internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and RNA polymerase II subunit B (RPB2). In addi…
The nature of black stains in Lascaux Cave, France, as revealed by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
2012
We used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to investigate the chemical composition of the black stains threatening the rock-art paintings of Lascaux Cave, Montignac, France. The stains are mainly composed of melanin from the fungus Ochroconis sp. and the faecal pellets of the collembolan Folsomia candida. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is a useful technique for revealing the structure of unknown macromolecules in cultural heritage research. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The chemical composition of the black stains threatening the rock-art paintings of Lascaux Cave, Montignac, France was studied using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The stains are mainly composed…