Researchers in Yunnan province in southwest China have discovered a new species of fungus, reaching a height of about half a meter and weighing 2.2 kilograms, while genetic analyses indicate that its evolutionary lineage dates back to approximately 65 million years ago.
New scientific classification
The scientific website "Phys.org" reported on Tuesday that the fungus, named "Dianjunus rex," is characterized by large fruiting bodies growing on wood associated with Chinese oak trees. Researchers classified it as a new species, genus, and family within the group of fungi known as "Zygorhizales."
Evolutionary study
Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany in China relied on studying the morphological characteristics of the fungus, analyzing its genetic material, and comparing it with data from hundreds of fungal species to determine its position on the evolutionary tree. The results showed that the new family diverged evolutionarily from its closest relatives approximately 65 million years ago, in the period following the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
New environmental opportunities
It was noted that the extinction event, which saw the disappearance of non-avian dinosaurs and large numbers of living organisms, likely provided new environmental opportunities for fungi that grow on wood and contribute to its decomposition, due to changes in forests afterward, including an increase in dead plant material. Researchers believe that its large size may help it disperse its spores via wind in dense forests.
Exceptional size
The discovered fungus is considered one of the largest known fungi in terms of fruiting body size within the phylum Ascomycota, which includes more than 64,000 species. This large size has been identified as an adaptive feature that contributes to spore dispersal in dense forest environments.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)