Giant fungus discovered in China dates to dinosaur era
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Scientists in Yunnan, China, identified a new species of fungus, Dianjunus rex, that grows to an unusually large size.
The fungus produces fruiting bodies up to 50 centimeters tall and weighing up to 2.2 kilograms, making it the largest known within its group. Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany discovered the fungus growing on the roots of Chinese cork oak trees in both temperate and tropical forests.
Genetic analysis revealed that Dianjunus rex represents not only a new species and genus but also an entirely new family, Dianjunaceae, within the order Xylariales. The fungus shares its closest relation with Graphostroma platystoma, a fungus found across the Northern Hemisphere. Scientists estimate that the Dianjunaceae family originated approximately 65 million years ago, shortly after the mass extinction event that eliminated the dinosaurs.
The timing of its evolution suggests that the extinction event created new opportunities for wood-decomposing fungi by increasing the availability of dead plant matter. Researchers believe the fungus’s large size may improve spore dispersal in dense forests, though it requires significant energy to grow. They anticipate discovering even more fungal species in subtropical China due to the region’s diverse habitats and historically limited fungal research.
