- Source: Zaman Khan (mycologist)
Zaman Khan (Urdu: زمان خان; born 5 November 2000) is a Pakistani botanist and mycologist. He researches fungal biodiversity, taxonomy, and DNA barcoding. He has described several new fungal species. His work combines field research with molecular techniques, focusing on identifying under-documented fungal species in Pakistan.
Early life and education
Zaman Khan was born in Pelowaince, Noorpur Thal, Khushab, Punjab, Pakistan into the Angra tribe. He completed his Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Botany at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, in 2021, presenting a thesis titled "A Systematic Study on Some Mushrooms of Jhok Reserve Forest, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan." His academic journey continued with a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Botany from the same institution in 2023, where his thesis "A Taxonomic and DNA Barcoding Study on Some Macrofungi of Noorpur Thal, Khushab, Punjab, Pakistan" integrated classical taxonomy with modern molecular approaches. Both his MSc and MPhil research were conducted under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Abdul Nasir Khalid, a Pakistani mycologist.
Career and contributions
At Fungal Biology and Systematics Research Laboratory, Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, his fieldwork spans Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan, where he has collected and documented fungal species in various ecosystems.
Discoveries
Zaman Khan has discovered several new fungal species, which include:
Publications
Khan, Z., & Khalid, A.N. (2024). “Molecular phylogeny and morphology reveal a new species of genus Rhodocybe sensu stricto Maire (Entolomataceae; Agaricales) from Pakistan.”. Cryptogamie, Mycologie 45 (10): 127-137.
Khan, Z., Izhar, A., & Khalid, A. N. (2024). "A new omphalinoid species, Entoloma khushabense (Entolomataceae, Basidiomycota) from Punjab, Pakistan. Phytotaxa, 653 (1): 054–066.
Khan, Z., Arshad, M. A., Niazi, A. R., & Khalid, A. N. (2023). A new species of Parasola section Conopileae (Psathyrellaceae) from Pakistan. Turkish Journal of Botany, 47(6), 606-619.
Khan, Z., Izhar, A., & Khalid, A. N. (2023). Leucoagaricus thallensis (Agaricaceae; Basidiomycota), A new Species from Punjab, Pakistan. Phytotaxa, 594(3), 163-177.
Haqnawaz, M., Khan, Z., Niazi, A. R., & Khalid, A. N. (2023). Volvariella variicystidiosa sp. nov. (Agaricaceae, Basidiomycota) from Punjab, Pakistan. Phytotaxa, 578(2), 189-198.
Izhar, A., Khan, Z., Asif, M., Bashir, H., Rani, A. K., Niazi, A. R., & Khalid, A. N. (2023). Clitopilus cretoalbus sp. nov. (Entolomataceae, Agaricales), a new species from Pakistan. European Journal of Taxonomy, 861, 168-184.
Izhar, A., Asif, M., Khan, Z., & Khalid, A. N. (2023). Introducing two new members of the genus Candolleomyces (Agaricales, Psathyrellaceae) from Punjab, Pakistan. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 309(5), 40.
References
External links
Researchgate Profile
ORCiD
Google Scholar