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Giant 65-Million-Year-Old Fungus Discovered in China
· Confirmed
In Short: An international team of scientists has discovered a massive fungus in the forests of Yunnan Province, southwestern China, which has roots tracing back 65 million years, to the time of the dinosaurs.
An international team of scientists has discovered a massive fungus in the forests of Yunnan Province, southwestern China, which has roots tracing back 65 million years, to the time of the dinosaurs. The fungus, officially named Dianjunus rex but nicknamed 'D-rex,' was found growing near the roots of trees.
Genomic analysis indicates that D-rex belongs to a family that split from all other known lineages around 65 million years ago, in the immediate aftermath of the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. This discovery, published in the journal Frontiers in Fungal Biology, is remarkable for both its sheer dimensions and its evolutionary pedigree.
The fungus produces whitish, spore-bearing structures up to 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall and weighing as much as 2.2 kilograms (4.9 pounds). Before D-rex's discovery, the largest known member of Ascomycota was a bulbous brown fungus in Kenya called Engleromyces goetzei, which has a diameter of nearly 12 inches (30 centimeters) and weight of around 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms).
The discovery of D-rex has significant implications for understanding the limits of body size in fungi and the ecological opportunities that may have arisen after the extinction of the dinosaurs. For wood-associated decomposing fungi, such environmental disruption may have created new ecological opportunities.
The research team's findings suggest that the emergence of D-rex's family may have occurred around 65 million years ago, shortly after the mass extinction event. This discovery is forcing researchers to rethink the limits of body size in one of the largest groups of life on Earth.
The discovery of D-rex highlights the ongoing importance of exploring and understanding the diversity of life on Earth, particularly in regions like Yunnan Province, where unique and ancient organisms continue to be found.
Larry Ellison and an associated trust guaranteed $45.72 billion in payments and other financial obligations tied to his son’s Warner Bros. Discovery takeover, which closed Oct. 6, according to securities filings. Discovery — a deal that left the combined Hollywood giant with roughly $82.5 billion in debt as Ellison pursues billions in annual cost savings.
Paramount has reached a settlement with California and other states that sued over the media giant's $110bn (£82.2bn) with Warner Bros Discovery. A settlement with the states will help Paramount avoid a $7m-a-day (£4.4m) 'ticking fee' it owes WBD shareholders for each day the deal does not close past 30 September.
The discovery of D-rex in China's Yunnan Province is a significant milestone in the study of fungal evolution and ecology. It underscores the importance of continued exploration and research in understanding the diversity and history of life on Earth.
Background
An international team of scientists has discovered a massive fungus in the forests of Yunnan Province, southwestern China, which has roots tracing back 65 million years, to the time of the dinosaurs.
What's confirmed
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What's still developing
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