Юньнань мужийн ойгоос олдож, “Dianjunus rex” хэмээн нэрлэгдсэн энэхүү мөөг нь уутлаг мөөгний бүлэгт багтах хамгийн өндөр биетэй зүйл юм.
БНХАУ-ын Куньмин хотын Ургамал судлалын хүрээлэнгийн судлаачид Юньнань мужийн Дамаиди, Ипинлан, Нанбан зэрэг газруудад хээрийн судалгаа хийх явцдаа 50 сантиметр хүртэл өндөртэй, ер бусын цагаан өнгийн мөөг илрүүлжээ. Генетикийн болон морфологийн шинжилгээгээр энэхүү олдвор нь шинжлэх ухаанд өмнө нь бүртгэгдээгүй шинэ төрөл, шинэ овог (Dianaceae) болохыг тогтоосон байна. Энэхүү нээлтийг “Frontiers in Fungal Biology” сэтгүүлд нийтэлжээ.
“Dianjunus rex” нь 65 сая жилийн настай бөгөөд нэрээ эртний Диан хаант улс болон “T. rex” үлэг гүрвэлээс авсан байна. Энэхүү мөөг нь уутлаг мөөгний (ascomycete) бүлэгт багтдаг бөгөөд 2.2 килограмм орчим жинтэй, босоо хэлбэртэй жимсгэнэ биетэй нь уг бүлгийн мөөгнүүдийн хувьд хамгийн томд тооцогдож байна.
Судлаач, дэд профессор Индунил Сенанаякегийн тайлбарласнаар, уг мөөг нь үхсэн модны үлдэгдлийг задалдаг онцлогтой байж болзошгүй аж. Энэхүү чадвар нь Цэрдийн галавын сүүл үеийн их усталтын дараах экологийн өөрчлөлтийн үед тус мөөг үүсэж хөгжихөд чухал нөлөө үзүүлсэн байх магадлалтай гэж эрдэмтэд таамаглаж байна. Энэхүү нээлт нь Зүүн Азийн ойн бүс нутагт мөөгний биологийн олон янз байдал судлагдаагүй хэвээр байгааг харуулж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Scientists in China have described a new fungus whose towering fruiting bodies are the tallest of any known ascomycete. Named Dianjunus rex, it dates back 65 million years and was found in the forests of Yunnan. Each fruiting body stands around 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) tall.
Fungi lead secret lives beneath the soil, but this one makes a dramatic entrance when it surfaces. The discovery came out of fieldwork by researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany, who noticed strange white lumps sticking out of the ground.
The finding matters because ascomycetes, also known as sac fungi, are the largest phylum of fungi, with over 65,000 species and around 75 percent of all described fungi. Against that backdrop, a newcomer that tops the entire group for vertical fruiting bodies is no small thing.
A Discovery in the Forests of Yunnan
The study, published in Frontiers in Fungal Biology, said that the fieldwork took place in Damaidi, Yipinglang, and Nanbang, all in Yunnan. The white lumps the team spotted turned out not to be mushrooms at all, but the fruiting bodies of an unknown species of ascomycete.
Armed with samples, the researchers used genetic and morphological analyses to confirm they had a novel species. It is also a new genus and a new family, Dianjunaceae. The name honors T. rex, which went extinct shortly before D. rex evolved, and the ancient Dian kingdom that once ruled this part of the world.
The scientists were clearly excited about what the find represents. In a release, corresponding author Dr.Indunil Senanayake, an associate professor at the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species of the Kunming Institute of Botany, said:
“This remarkable species represents a new fungal family, Dianjunaceae, and provides a rare window into the evolution of extreme fungal body forms.” He went on to say that “the discovery illustrates how much fungus biodiversity remains to be discovered in East Asian forests.”
How Big Are These Towers?
The fruiting bodies weigh around 2.2 kilograms (4.9 pounds) in addition to their 50-centimeter height, which makes them exquisitely chunky. They are the largest vertical fruiting bodies of any ascomycete known to science. Each tower is where the fungus sends out its spores, and the fruiting bodies themselves look unlike anything we’ve ever come across.
Although it is a new species, genus, and family, D. rex sits within the order Xylariales. Members of this order are known to produce secondary compounds and enzymes that break down complex plant material, a trait that turns out to be important for understanding how this fungus lives.
A Landscape Shaped by Dead Trees
That ability may explain how D. rex makes a living. It is thought the same trait could enable it to feed on dead wood, a talent that could explain its emergence following the Cretaceous-Palaeogene mass extinction event. Senanayake laid out the reasoning.
“After the mass extinction, forests experienced dramatic changes, including the sudden availability of large amounts of dead plant material,” he said. In his words, “For wood-associated decomposing fungi, such environmental disruption may have created new ecological opportunities.”
It’s possible this influx of dead wood could explain how D. rex overcame the energetic costs of getting so big, with the payout being greater dispersal opportunities. Questions remain about just how the largest ascomycete known to science got so beefy.
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.
