ANÁLISE BIBLIOMÉTRICA DE ESTUDOS DE ASTROBIOLOGIA COM FUNGOS LIQUENIZADOS ENTRE 2001 E 2024

Abstract

Lichenized fungi exhibit a wide diversity of habitats, as they can be found across various environments, temperatures, altitudes, and latitudes. Given these characteristics, astrobiology, a multidisciplinary research field focused on understanding the origin, evolution, and development of life on Earth and potentially on other planets, has identified lichenized fungi as a novel subject of study. This interest arises from the extremophilic traits of certain lichenized species, which may be capable of surviving in the extreme environmental conditions found on Mars. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of astrobiological research articles that have employed lichenized fungi in experimental settings. Specifically, it seeks to identify the species that have been investigated, explore the rationales behind their selection, and map the countries and authors most actively contributing to this line of research. The bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science – Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics / Thomson Reuters), where 65 relevant articles were identified, published between 2001 and 2024. The analysis revealed that Germany and Spain have been the most influential contributors to astrobiological studies involving lichens. The most prominent journals in this field are Astrobiology and Icarus, while notable authors include Jean-Pierre Paul, Leopoldo G. Sancho, Sieglinde Ott, and Gerda Horneck. The lichenized fungi most frequently studied in this context include Rusavskia elegans (Link) S.Y. Kondr. & Kärnefelt, Chlorangium gyrosum (Sohrabi, Sipman, V. John & V. J. Rico) S.Y. Kondr., Buellia frigida Darb., and Rhizocarpon geographicum (L.) DC. According to the authors, these species were chosen for their extremophilic characteristics, meaning they are capable of surviving in extreme environments or biomes.